Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

शक्त्यादिसृष्टिनिरूपणम् / The Account of Creation Beginning with Śakti

Devanagari script

शान्त्यतीतपदं शक्तेस्ततः शान्तिपदक्रमात् । ततो विद्यापदं तस्मात्प्रतिष्ठापदसंभवः

Transliteration

śāntyatītapadaṃ śaktestataḥ śāntipadakramāt | tato vidyāpadaṃ tasmātpratiṣṭhāpadasaṃbhavaḥ

Translation

จากศักติบังเกิดภาวะที่เหนือความสงบ; ครั้นแล้วโดยการไต่ระดับแห่งบทแห่งศานติอย่างเป็นลำดับ จึงบรรลุบทแห่งวิทยา และจากบทแห่งวิทยานั้นเอง ปรากฏบทที่ชื่อว่า ‘ประติษฐา’ อันเป็นฐานสถาปนา.

Word by Word

• śānti-atīta-padam: the state/plane beyond peace
• śānti-atīta-padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक) + atīta (कृदन्त, √i/इ गतौ, क्त) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd: प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/विशेषणपूर्वपदसमासः: ‘शान्त्या अतीतम्’ इति विशेषणं, तद्-पदम्

• śakteḥ: of (the) Śakti/power
• śakteḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: thereupon/from that
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverbial particle (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘thereupon/from that’

• śānti-pada-kramāt: from/according to the sequence of the peace-stage
• śānti-pada-kramāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषसमासः: ‘शान्तेः पदम्’ इति शान्तिपदम्, तस्य क्रमः; ‘क्रमात्’ = ‘by/according to the sequence’

• tataḥ: then/from that
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• vidyā-padam: the knowledge-stage
• vidyā-padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd: प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: ‘विद्यायाः पदम्’

• tasmāt: from that/therefore
• tasmāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablatival indeclinable usage (तस्मात्) functioning as adverbial ‘from that/therefore’ (पञ्चम्यर्थे अव्ययवत्)

• pratiṣṭhā-pada-saṃbhavaḥ: the arising/origin of the pratiṣṭhā-stage
• pratiṣṭhā-pada-saṃbhavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: ‘प्रतिष्ठायाः पदम्’ इति प्रतिष्ठापदम्, तस्मात् सम्भवः = ‘origin arising from that stage’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: graded emanation (krama) of ‘padas’ culminating in vidyā and pratiṣṭhā

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It outlines a Shaiva philosophical progression of consciousness: through Śakti’s unfolding, one transcends ordinary tranquility, rises through a stabilized peace, reaches clarifying knowledge (Vidyā), and finally comes to an establishing ground (Pratiṣṭhā) that supports firm realization oriented to Shiva (Pati).

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

Linga-worship trains the mind toward steadiness (śānti) and then insight (vidyā). As devotion and contemplation mature, the practitioner gains an inner ‘establishment’ (pratiṣṭhā)—a stable seat of awareness—through which Saguna worship becomes a gateway to recognizing Shiva as the supreme ground.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with steady dhyāna: first cultivate śānti through regulated breath and focused worship, then contemplate Shiva-Shakti as the source of vidyā, aiming for unwavering inner pratiṣṭhā (stability) in daily sādhana.