Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 44

मङ्गलाचरणम्, तीर्थ-परिसरः, सूतागमनम् — Invocation, Sacred Setting, and the Arrival of Sūta

Devanagari script

स्कान्दं च वामनं चैव कौर्म्यं मात्स्यं च गारुडम् । ब्रह्मांडं चेति पुण्यो ऽयं पुराणानामनुक्रमः

Transliteration

skāndaṃ ca vāmanaṃ caiva kaurmyaṃ mātsyaṃ ca gāruḍam | brahmāṃḍaṃ ceti puṇyo 'yaṃ purāṇānāmanukramaḥ

Translation

اسکانْد، وامَن، کورْم، ماتْسْیَ، گارُڑ اور برہمانڈ—یہی پُرانوں کی یہ پاکیزہ ترتیب ہے۔

Word by Word

• skāndam: Skānda (Purāṇa)
• skāndam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: skānda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• vāmanam: Vāmana (Purāṇa)
• vāmanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of emphasis (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• kaurmyam: Kaurma (Purāṇa)
• kaurmyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaurmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• mātsyam: Mātsya (Purāṇa)
• mātsyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• gāruḍam: Gāruḍa (Purāṇa)
• gāruḍam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāruḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• brahmāṇḍam: Brahmāṇḍa (Purāṇa)
• brahmāṇḍam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + aṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa—brahma-aṇḍa 'cosmic egg of Brahmā'

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative/Enumeration marker (इति)

• puṇyaḥ: holy/meritorious
• puṇyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; adjective qualifying anukramaḥ

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• purāṇānām: of the Purāṇas
• purāṇānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Bahuvacana

• anukramaḥ: sequence/listing
• anukramaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anukrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it functions as a Purāṇic anukrama (catalogue) situating Śiva Purāṇa within the wider Purāṇa-corpus.

Significance: Merit (puṇya) is attributed to hearing/knowing the ordered list of Purāṇas; it frames śravaṇa as a purificatory act preparatory to Śaiva teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Vamana
• Kurma
• Matsya
• Garuda
• Brahmanda

FAQs

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

It sanctifies the disciplined study of scripture by presenting a “holy sequence” of Purāṇas, implying that orderly hearing and remembrance of sacred texts supports right understanding (jñāna) and devotion (bhakti) toward Pati—Lord Śiva.

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

Though it does not describe Liṅga-ritual directly, it frames Purāṇic tradition as an authoritative source for Saguna Śiva worship—many of these Purāṇas (especially Skanda and Kūrma) contain narratives and procedures that culminate in devotion to Śiva and his symbols, including the Liṅga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The implied practice is śravaṇa (devotional listening/recitation) and smaraṇa (remembrance) of Purāṇic teachings as a meritorious discipline; it can be paired with daily Śiva-nāma japa such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while studying.