Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

परस्याः प्रकृतेरादौ पञ्चधा परिणामतः । कलाश्च ता निवृत्त्याद्या व्याप्ताः पञ्च यथोत्तरम्

Transliteration

parasyāḥ prakṛterādau pañcadhā pariṇāmataḥ | kalāśca tā nivṛttyādyā vyāptāḥ pañca yathottaram

Translation

在至上普拉克里蒂之初，由转化而生五重显现。那五种卡拉（kalā），自“离退”（Nivṛtti）起，依次遍满诸层界域，后者较前者更为广大。

Word by Word

• parasyāḥ: of the supreme/higher
• parasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies prakṛteḥ

• prakṛteḥ: of Prakṛti (primordial nature)
• prakṛteḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• ādau: in the beginning
• ādau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) or Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• pañcadhā: in fivefold manner
• pañcadhā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pañcadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय)

• pariṇāmataḥ: by/through transformation
• pariṇāmataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pariṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत्), ‘as a result of transformation’

• kalāḥ: parts/kalās
• kalāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

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

• tāḥ: those
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nivṛtti-ādyāḥ: beginning with Nivṛtti
• nivṛtti-ādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nivṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-सम्बन्ध: ‘beginning with nivṛtti’), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifies kalāḥ/tāḥ

• vyāptāḥ: pervaded/extended
• vyāptāḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√āp (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त) used adjectivally, Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); agrees with kalāḥ

• pañca: five
• pañca: Saṅkhyā-viśeṣaṇa (संख्या-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral (संख्या), indeclinable-like; here used as adjective to kalāḥ (five)

• yathā-uttaram: successively/in order
• yathā-uttaram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva (अव्ययीभाव) adverb; ‘in due order/successively’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: cosmogonic emanation (pariṇāma) of kalās from Parā Prakṛti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It outlines a Shaiva metaphysical scheme where the Supreme’s Prakṛti unfolds in five ordered kalās, indicating how bondage and liberation are structured across levels of existence, ultimately pointing the seeker back to Pati (Shiva) as the transcendent ground.

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

Though the verse is philosophical, it supports Saguna worship by explaining manifestation: the kalās describe how the unmanifest becomes accessible. Linga-worship is a disciplined approach to move from manifest supports toward realization of Shiva beyond Prakṛti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is graded meditation: begin with disciplined purification (bhasma/tripundra and mantra-japa such as Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and proceed inward from outer manifestation toward nivṛtti (withdrawal), aligning the mind to Shiva as Pati.