Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1

ध्यानप्रकारनिर्णयः / Determination of the Modes of Meditation

on Śrīkaṇṭha-Śiva

Devanagari script

उपमन्युरुवाच । श्रीकंठनाथं स्मरतां सद्यः सर्वार्थसिद्धयः । प्रसिध्यंतीति मत्वैके तं वै ध्यायंति योगिनः

Transliteration

upamanyuruvāca | śrīkaṃṭhanāthaṃ smaratāṃ sadyaḥ sarvārthasiddhayaḥ | prasidhyaṃtīti matvaike taṃ vai dhyāyaṃti yoginaḥ

Translation

อุปมันยุกล่าวว่า “ผู้ใดระลึกถึงศรีกัณฐนาถะ เป้าหมายทั้งปวงย่อมสำเร็จฉับพลัน ครั้นรู้ดังนี้ เหล่าโยคีจึงเพ่งฌานแต่พระองค์เดียว”

Word by Word

• उपमन्युः: Upamanyu
• उपमन्युः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपमन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद (Active), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रीकण्ठनाथम्: Śrīkaṇṭha’s Lord (Śiva)
• श्रीकण्ठनाथम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘श्रीकण्ठस्य नाथः’ (Lord of Śrīkaṇṭha)

• स्मरताम्: of those who remember
• स्मरताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle) ‘स्मरत्’ + षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural): ‘स्मरताम्’ = of those remembering

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सर्वार्थसिद्धयः: accomplishments of all aims
• सर्वार्थसिद्धयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वेषाम् अर्थानाम् सिद्धयः’ (successes of all aims)

• प्रसिध्यन्ति: are attained/become manifest
• प्रसिध्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Active), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• मत्वा: having thought
• मत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund): ‘having thought/considered’

• एके: some (persons)
• एके: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘some (people)’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ (emphatic/indeed)

• ध्यायन्ति: meditate upon
• ध्यायन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Active), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• योगिनः: yogins
• योगिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sage Upamanyu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Though not naming a jyotirliṅga, the epithet Śrīkaṇṭha/Nīlakaṇṭha evokes the halāhala episode: Śiva drinks the poison to protect the worlds, becoming the blue-throated Lord—an archetype of compassionate sovereignty (pati).

Significance: Smaraṇa (remembrance) of Śrīkaṇṭha is taught as a direct means to sarvārtha-siddhi, culminating in mokṣa through Śiva’s grace.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Implied mythic backdrop: samudra-manthana halāhala episode (world-protecting act).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Śiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) who grants sarvārtha-siddhi—worldly well-being and the highest good—through smaraṇa (remembrance) and dhyāna (meditation), culminating in liberation.

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

The verse supports Saguna upāsanā: yogins fix the mind on Śrīkaṇṭhanātha as a concrete divine focus. In practice this aligns with meditating on Śiva’s form or on the Śiva-liṅga as His manifest presence leading the mind toward the supreme reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The direct practice is Śiva-smaraṇa and dhyāna—steady contemplation of Śiva (often supported by japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and traditional Śaiva aids like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa to stabilize devotion and concentration).