Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 11

पशुपाशपतिज्ञान-प्राप्तिः

Acquisition of Paśupati–Pāśa Knowledge

Devanagari script

अज्ञानप्रभवं दुःखं ज्ञानेनैव निवर्तते । ज्ञानं वस्तुपरिच्छेदो वस्तु च द्विविधं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

ajñānaprabhavaṃ duḥkhaṃ jñānenaiva nivartate | jñānaṃ vastuparicchedo vastu ca dvividhaṃ smṛtam

Translation

忧苦由无明而生，唯有真知方能止息。所谓知识，即对实相的清明辨别；而实相在此教法中被忆念为二类。

Word by Word

• ajñāna-prabhavam: arising from ignorance
• ajñāna-prabhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष: 'ajñānāt prabhavaḥ' = arising from ignorance), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (qualifying duḥkham)

• duḥkham: suffering
• duḥkham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• jñānena: by knowledge
• jñānena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक-निपात (only/indeed)

• nivartate: ceases; turns back
• nivartate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (Ātmanepada)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vastu-paricchedaḥ: ascertainment of reality
• vastu-paricchedaḥ: Pradhāna/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastu (प्रातिपदिक) + pariccheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'vastunaḥ paricchedaḥ' = delimitation/ascertainment of a thing), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vastu: a thing; reality
• vastu: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• dvi-vidham: twofold
• dvi-vidham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numeral compound: twofold), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (qualifying vastu)

• smṛtam: is said/remembered
• smṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (agreeing with dvi-vidham/vastu)

Speaker

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

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It states a core Shaiva teaching: bondage is rooted in ajñāna (ignorance) and manifests as duḥkha (suffering). Liberation begins when discernment arises—clear knowledge of what is real—leading the soul toward Shiva-realization and freedom from the pasha (bond).

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

Linga-worship and Saguna Shiva devotion discipline the mind and purify perception, preparing the seeker for jñāna (right discernment). Through worship, the devotee moves from outer form (saguna upāsanā) toward inner realization of Shiva as the highest reality, which removes ignorance.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse points to jñāna-sādhana supported by Shaiva practice: daily Shiva-pūjā with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), combined with meditation on discerning the Real from the unreal to uproot ignorance.