Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 21

शक्त्यादिसृष्टिनिरूपणम् / The Account of Creation Beginning with Śakti

Devanagari script

अप्रज्ञाते जगत्यस्मिन्नेक एव महेश्वरः । उपास्य रजनीं कृत्स्नां परां माहेश्वरीं ततः

Transliteration

aprajñāte jagatyasminneka eva maheśvaraḥ | upāsya rajanīṃ kṛtsnāṃ parāṃ māheśvarīṃ tataḥ

Translation

เมื่อโลกนี้ยังไม่ปรากฏและไม่เป็นที่รู้ มีเพียงพระมหेशวรเท่านั้นดำรงอยู่ ครั้นแล้วได้บูชาตลอดราตรีต่อสภาวะมเหศวรีอันสูงสุด จึงเกิดการคลี่คลายแห่งทิพยภาวะต่อไป

Word by Word

• अप्रज्ञाते: when (it was) unknown / unmanifest
• अप्रज्ञाते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘अप्रज्ञात’ = unknown; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? यहाँ सप्तमी-एकवचन (locative) रूपेण ‘(काले/अवस्थायाम्) अप्रज्ञाते’

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘जगति’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• एकः: one
• एकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: alone / indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• महेश्वरः: Mahēśvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मह + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपास्य: having worshipped
• उपास्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आस् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having worshipped)

• रजनीम्: the night
• रजनीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कृत्स्नाम्: entire
• कृत्स्नाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘रजनीम्’

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘माहेश्वरीम्’

• माहेश्वरीम्: (the) Māheśvarī (power/śakti)
• माहेश्वरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Kāla (काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थ (thereafter/from that)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pre-manifest (avyakta) cosmic state prior to unfolding

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It asserts Pati (Maheshvara) as the sole, transcendent reality before manifestation, implying that liberation arises by turning the mind from the unmanifest world to Shiva, the supreme Lord.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Even when Shiva is taught as the one before creation (nirguṇa transcendence), the Purana frames approach through upāsanā—devotional worship—often expressed as saguna worship such as Linga-upāsanā leading the devotee toward the supreme Māheśvara truth.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Night-long worship (jāgaraṇa) and sustained upāsanā—akin to Mahāśivarātri observance—supporting mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and steady contemplation of Shiva as the supreme reality.