Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 31

सर्गविभागवर्णनम्

Classification of Creation: the Nine Sargas and the Streams of Beings

Devanagari script

ततो मृतस्य देवस्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । घृणी ददौ पुनः प्राणान्ब्रह्मपुत्रो महेश्वरः । प्रहृष्टवदनो रुद्रः प्राणप्रत्यागमाद्विभोः । अभ्यभाषत विश्वेशो ब्रह्माणं परमं वचः

Transliteration

tato mṛtasya devasya brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | ghṛṇī dadau punaḥ prāṇānbrahmaputro maheśvaraḥ | prahṛṣṭavadano rudraḥ prāṇapratyāgamādvibhoḥ | abhyabhāṣata viśveśo brahmāṇaṃ paramaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

پھر بے جان پڑے ہوئے دیوتا پرمیشٹھی برہما کو برہما پُتر مہیشور نے رحم کھا کر دوبارہ پران عطا کیے۔ اس عظیم کے پران لوٹ آنے پر رُدر کا چہرہ شادمان ہو گیا۔ وِشوَیشور نے برہما سے ایک اعلیٰ و برتر کلام فرمایا۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla/krama-avyaya (काल/क्रम-अव्यय: 'then/thereupon')

• mṛtasya: of the dead
• mṛtasya: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (प्रातिपदिक; √mṛ धातु)
• Form: Kta (क्त/PPP), Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; 'of the dead'

• devasya: of the god
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• parameṣṭhinaḥ: of the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• parameṣṭhinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; epithet

• ghṛṇī: compassion
• ghṛṇī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—personified compassion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; abstract noun 'compassion'

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: Luṅ-lakāra (Aorist/लुङ्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (काल-अव्यय: 'again')

• prāṇān: vital breaths
• prāṇān: Karma (कर्म/Direct object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया Accusative), Bahuvacana

• brahma-putraḥ: son of Brahmā
• brahma-putraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (brahmaṇaḥ putraḥ)

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• prahṛṣṭa-vadanaḥ: with a delighted face
• prahṛṣṭa-vadanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of rudraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prahṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; √hṛṣ धातु) + vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः ('whose face is delighted')

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• prāṇa-pratyāgamāt: from the return of the vital breaths
• prāṇa-pratyāgamāt: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + pratyāgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī, Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (prāṇānāṃ pratyāgamaḥ = return of breaths)

• vibhoḥ: of the Lord
• vibhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; epithet

• abhyabhāṣata: spoke to / addressed
• abhyabhāṣata: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhāṣ (भाष् धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; Ātmanepada; with upasarga abhi-

• viśva-īśaḥ: Lord of the universe
• viśva-īśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('lord of the universe')

• brahmāṇam: Brahmā
• brahmāṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object of speaking)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; agrees with vacaḥ (understood as vacanam)

• vacaḥ: word/speech
• vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म/Thing spoken)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Maheshvara
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It presents Śiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) whose grace restores life itself, showing that even exalted beings like Brahmā depend upon Śiva’s compassionate sovereignty—an essential Shaiva Siddhanta theme of divine anugraha (saving grace).

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

By calling Śiva “Viśveśa” and depicting him actively bestowing prāṇa, the verse supports Saguna worship—approaching Śiva as the personal Lord who intervenes, protects, and grants grace; the Liṅga is revered as that very living presence of Śiva in worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is prāṇa-smarana with japa—remembering Śiva as the giver of prāṇa while repeating the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with simple Śiva-pūjā (water/abhisheka) as an expression of surrender to his sustaining grace.