Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 35

षडध्ववेदनम् (Ṣaḍadhva-vedanam) — The Sixfold Path: Sound, Meaning, and Tattva-Distribution

Devanagari script

तयैव प्रेरिता शैवी मूलप्रकृतिरव्यया । महामाया च माया च प्रकृतिस्त्रिगुणेति च

Transliteration

tayaiva preritā śaivī mūlaprakṛtiravyayā | mahāmāyā ca māyā ca prakṛtistriguṇeti ca

Translation

اسی دیوی کی تحریک سے ناقابلِ زوال شَیوی مُول-پرکرتی کارفرما ہوتی ہے؛ وہی مہامایا، مایا اور تری گُن مَیی پرکرتی کہلاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• तया: by her
• तया: Karta/Agent (कर्ता; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधारणार्थक

• प्रेरिता: impelled/activated
• प्रेरिता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of शैवी/प्रकृतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + ईर् (धातु) → प्रेरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शैवी: Śaiva; belonging to Śiva
• शैवी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of मूलप्रकृतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैवी (प्रातिपदिक; शिव-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मूल-प्रकृतिः: the primordial nature
• मूल-प्रकृतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: मूलैव प्रकृतिः (root nature)

• अव्यया: imperishable/unchanging
• अव्यया: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of मूलप्रकृतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महामाया: Great Māyā
• महामाया: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (विशेष्य; apposition to मूलप्रकृतिः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: महती माया

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• माया: Māyā/illusion-power
• माया: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (विशेष्य; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• प्रकृतिः: Nature
• प्रकृतिः: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (विशेष्य; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रि-गुणा: three- गुणed (sattva-rajas-tamas)
• त्रि-गुणा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of प्रकृतिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः: त्रयः गुणाः यस्याः (having three qualities)

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mahāmāyā

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that the cosmos and bondage-function of māyā do not act independently; Prakṛti becomes effective only when empowered by the Śaiva Supreme. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, Pati (Śiva) remains the sovereign cause, while māyā is a dependent power that veils and projects experience for the bound soul (paśu) until liberation.

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

Worship of the Liṅga/Saguṇa Śiva centers the devotee on the Lord who governs māyā and the three guṇas. By devotion, mantra, and inner worship, one shifts identity from guṇa-bound prakṛti to the Lord’s grace, recognizing that all manifest nature is under Śiva’s lordship rather than an ultimate reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is guṇa-transcending sādhanā: japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” meditation on Śiva as the controller of māyā, and disciplined purity practices (e.g., Tripuṇḍra-bhasma and Rudrākṣa with mantra) to reduce tamas/rajas and stabilize sattva for contemplation.