Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

दिने तस्मिन्निराहारः कालं शेषं समापयेत् । प्रातः पर्वणि चाप्येवं कृत्वा होमा वसानतः

Transliteration

dine tasminnirāhāraḥ kālaṃ śeṣaṃ samāpayet | prātaḥ parvaṇi cāpyevaṃ kṛtvā homā vasānataḥ

Translation

في ذلك اليوم يبقى بلا طعام، ويقضي ما تبقّى من الزمن في التزامٍ منضبط. وكذلك في صباح اليوم التالي عند المنعطف المقدّس (parvan)، وبعد أن يفعل ذلك، يختتم بأداء الهُوما (قربان النار) مع طقوس الإتمام على وجهها.

Word by Word

• dine: on the day
• dine: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasmin: on that (day)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• nir-āhāraḥ: fasting/without food
• nir-āhāraḥ: Kartṛ-sāmānādhikaraṇya (कर्ता-सामानाधिकरण्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirāhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) nir + āhāra; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); used predicatively

• kālam: time/period
• kālam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• śeṣam: remaining
• śeṣam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying kālam

• samāpayet: should complete/spend
• samāpayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-āp (धातु √आप्)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); from √आप् with उपसर्ग sam; 'should complete/spend'

• prātaḥ: in the morning
• prātaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• parvaṇi: on the festival/observance day (parvan)
• parvaṇi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) 'also/even'

• evam: thus/in this manner
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √कृ (करणे)

• homān: fire-offerings
• homān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vasānataḥ: while remaining/being (so)
• vasānataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vasāna (प्रातिपदिक; present participle from √vas 'to wear/dwell')
• Form: Present participle (शतृ/शानच्) used adverbially; Ablative singular (5th/पञ्चमी, एकवचन) 'while/after being clothed/remaining' (contextual adverbial)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that self-restraint (fasting) and steady observance purify the bound soul (paśu) and prepare it for Shiva-oriented worship; the concluding homa seals the vrata as an offering of one’s actions to Pati (Lord Shiva).

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

Fasting and parvan-time worship are traditional supports for Saguna Shiva upāsanā—approaching Shiva through ritual form (including Linga worship) with purity, timing, and completion through homa as a devotional act.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A vrata-style fast for the day, maintaining disciplined conduct, and then performing a morning parvan observance culminating in homa (fire-offering) as the formal completion of the practice.