Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 14

शिवाश्रम-नित्यनैमित्तिककर्मविधिः / Śaiva Āśrama-Duties: Daily and Occasional Rites

Morning Purity & Bath Procedure

Devanagari script

आग्नेयं वाथ वा मांत्रं कुर्यात्स्नानं शिवेन वा । शिवचिंतापरं स्नानं युक्तस्यात्मीयमुच्यते

Transliteration

āgneyaṃ vātha vā māṃtraṃ kuryātsnānaṃ śivena vā | śivaciṃtāparaṃ snānaṃ yuktasyātmīyamucyate

Translation

يجوز للمرء أن يؤدي اغتسالَ المانترا الأَغْنَيّة المتعلّقة بالنار، أو اغتسالَ المانترا بمانترا شيفا. غير أنّ الاغتسال الذي يكون فيه الذهن منصرفًا إلى تأمّل شيفا يُسمّى الاغتسالَ الحقّ «الذاتي»؛ أي الاغتسال الباطني للسالك المنضبط.

Word by Word

• आग्नेयम्: Agneya (fire-related)
• आग्नेयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle: “then/and”)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• मान्त्रम्: mantric (with mantra)
• मान्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mantric/with mantra)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• शिवेन: with/through Śiva
• शिवेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/सह (instrument/association)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• शिवचिन्तापरम्: devoted to contemplation of Śiva
• शिवचिन्तापरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव-चिन्ता-पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śivasya cintāyāṃ paraḥ = devoted to contemplation of Śiva)

• स्नानम्: the bath
• स्नानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• युक्तस्य: of the disciplined/connected (person)
• युक्तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; युज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• आत्मीयम्: one’s own/proper
• आत्मीयम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Implied) oṃ namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that while external purification has value, the highest purification is inner—bathing the mind in constant remembrance of Śiva—leading the seeker toward freedom from pāśa (bondage) and steadiness in Pati (the Lord).

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

Even when worship is performed through saguna supports like the Liṅga and ritual bathing, the verse emphasizes that the decisive element is śiva-cintā—focused awareness of Śiva—without which outer acts remain incomplete.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform snāna accompanied by Śiva-mantra (such as the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and convert the act into meditation by maintaining uninterrupted contemplation of Śiva during and after the bath.