Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 5

भक्ताधिकारि-द्विजधर्म-योगिलक्षणवर्णनम् / Duties of Qualified Devotees and Marks of Yogins

Devanagari script

निषिद्धासेवनं चैव भस्मरुद्राक्षधारणम् । पर्वण्यभ्यर्चनं देवि चतुर्दश्यां विशेषतः

Transliteration

niṣiddhāsevanaṃ caiva bhasmarudrākṣadhāraṇam | parvaṇyabhyarcanaṃ devi caturdaśyāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

يا ديفي، ينبغي اجتنابُ ما نُهي عنه، وارتداءُ البَسْمَة (الرماد المقدّس) وحملُ خرز الرودراكشا على الوجه المشروع؛ كما ينبغي عبادةُ (شيفا) في أيام الشعائر المقدّسة، ولا سيّما في يوم تشاتورداشي، اليوم الرابع عشر القمري.

Word by Word

• निषिद्धासेवनम्: avoidance of forbidden acts / forbidden practice
• निषिद्धासेवनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषिद्ध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (निषिद्धं सेवनम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भस्मरुद्राक्षधारणम्: wearing ash and rudrākṣa beads
• भस्मरुद्राक्षधारणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + धारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (भस्म च रुद्राक्षाश्च तयोः धारणम्)

• पर्वणि: on the festival day
• पर्वणि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अभ्यर्चनम्: worship
• अभ्यर्चनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु) → अभ्यर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific Jyotirliṅga passage; it gives general Śaiva-vrata discipline: avoidance of niṣiddha-karmas, wearing bhasma and rudrākṣa, and intensified worship on caturdaśī (often aligned with Śivarātri/Pradoṣa observance cycles).

Significance: Frames caturdaśī worship as a high-merit vrata-day for Śiva-bhakti and purification, preparing the paśu (bound soul) for Śiva’s grace.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches Shaiva discipline: renouncing prohibited conduct (pāśa-like bondage) while adopting Śiva’s marks—bhasma and rudrākṣa—and strengthening devotion through timely worship, which supports purification and liberation-oriented life (mokṣa-mārga).

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

Bhasma and rudrākṣa are outward signs of allegiance to Saguna Śiva worship (often centered on the Śiva-liṅga); the verse directs regular abhyarcana on sacred days, culminating on caturdaśī, a prime time for liṅga-pūjā and vrata.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Observe restraint from forbidden actions, wear tripuṇḍra-bhasma and rudrākṣa, and perform Śiva worship on parva days—especially caturdaśī (the key tithi for Mahāśivarātri-style observance).