Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 16

शिवशक्त्यैक्य-तत्त्वविचारः / Inquiry into the Unity of Śiva and Śakti

Para–Apara Ontology

Devanagari script

सा मूलप्रकृतिर्माया त्रिगुणा च त्रिधा स्मृता । शिवया च विपर्यस्तं यया ततमिदं जगत्

Transliteration

sā mūlaprakṛtirmāyā triguṇā ca tridhā smṛtā | śivayā ca viparyastaṃ yayā tatamidaṃ jagat

Translation

此力名为根本自然——摩耶（Māyā），具足三德（guṇa），亦被理解为三重之相。由她在相对于湿婆（Śiva）的主导性“倒转”之下，此一切宇宙得以铺展而显现。

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (one)
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मूलप्रकृतिः: the root-nature
• मूलप्रकृतिः: समानााधिकरण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘root’ प्रकृति)

• माया: Māyā
• माया: समानााधिकरण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रिगुणा: three-guṇa (composed of three qualities)
• त्रिगुणा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘having three guṇas’)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• त्रिधा: threefold
• त्रिधा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘in three ways’)

• स्मृता: is said to be
• स्मृता: क्रिया/विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

• शिवया: by Śivā (Śakti)
• शिवया: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (by/through Śivā)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• विपर्यस्तम्: reversed/altered
• विपर्यस्तम्: विधेय (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + परि + अस्/स्था? (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘reversed/overturned/modified’

• यया: by which
• यया: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: ‘by which’)

• ततम्: pervaded/spread
• ततम्: विधेय (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तन् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘spread/extended’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेतक (demonstrative: ‘this’)

• जगत्: world/universe
• जगत्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maya
• Prakriti

FAQs

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

It identifies Māyā as the primordial, three-guṇa power that unfolds the cosmos, while implying that liberation comes from seeing Śiva as the Lord beyond Māyā and not mistaking the manifested world as independent of Him.

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

Linga-worship anchors the mind in Śiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) who governs Māyā; by devotion to Saguna Śiva and insight into His transcendence, the devotee overcomes the ‘viparyāsa’ (misapprehension) that Māyā induces.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with contemplative discrimination—observing the three guṇas in experience and mentally offering them into Śiva—supported by Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa where prescribed.