Śivasaṃhitā 5.1

The fifth chapter of the Śivasaṃhitā opens with Devī’s voice, posing a question on behalf of all spiritual seekers. She does not ask for herself alone, but paramārthadhiyaṃ prati — for the sake of those whose minds are directed toward the supreme end. This gesture of pedagogical humility is characteristic of tantric dialogues, where the goddess serves as both interlocutor and representative of the aspirant.

The compound paramārthadhī joins parama (supreme, ultimate) with artha (purpose, meaning) and dhī (intelligence, discernment). Together they describe a mind genuinely oriented toward liberation rather than worldly gain. The use of dhī is significant: it is the same term found in the Gāyatrī mantra, where divine intelligence is invoked. Here it implies that the yogic path demands an active, discriminative faculty.

This opening verse establishes the literary frame of the entire chapter: a sacred dialogue between Śiva and his consort. This Śiva-Pārvatī conversational structure, known in tantric literature as praśnottara (question and answer), legitimizes the transmission of otherwise secret knowledge. The goddess’s question is not naive — it is a deliberate invitation that authorizes the revelation of yoga’s obstacles and attainments.