Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27
शिवस्य विश्वव्याप्तिः—अष्टमूर्तिः पञ्चब्रह्म च | Śiva’s Cosmic Pervasion: Aṣṭamūrti and the Pañcabrahma Forms
आप्याययति यो विश्वममृतांशुर्निशाकरः । महादेवस्य सा मूर्तिर्महादेवसमाह्वया । आत्मा तस्याष्टमी मूर्तिः शिवस्य परमात्मनः । व्यापिकेतरमूर्तीनां विश्वं तस्माच्छिवात्मकम्
āpyāyayati yo viśvamamṛtāṃśurniśākaraḥ | mahādevasya sā mūrtirmahādevasamāhvayā | ātmā tasyāṣṭamī mūrtiḥ śivasya paramātmanaḥ | vyāpiketaramūrtīnāṃ viśvaṃ tasmācchivātmakam
那滋养并令整个宇宙昌盛者——承载甘露般光辉的月轮——即是大天（Mahādeva）之显现之相，亦以“摩诃提婆”（Mahādeva）之名而称。此乃至上我湿婆之第八相，正是祂自身之真我。故而，无论祂遍一切处之相，或祂各别（有限）之相，此整个宇宙皆具湿婆之性。
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Cosmic Event: Lunar amṛta-ray nourishment motif (soma) as cosmic sustenance
FAQs
The verse identifies the moon as an empowered manifestation within Śiva’s cosmic forms and concludes that the world is “Śiva-natured” (śivātmakam), pointing to Śiva as the inner Self and sustaining principle behind all existence—supporting devotion (bhakti) grounded in right knowledge (jñāna).
By presenting the moon as a recognizable divine form of Mahādeva, the text validates Saguna worship—approaching the transcendent Śiva through manifest symbols and forms. Linga worship similarly trains the mind to see Śiva as the indwelling reality while honoring His accessible, worship-worthy manifestation.
A practical takeaway is Chandra-linked Śiva-dhyāna: contemplate Śiva as the nourisher through the cool ‘nectar’ of grace, and recite the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while offering water or milk in Linga-pūjā on Monday (Somavāra) as a discipline of steadiness and purification.