Shloka 30

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

व्रतोपवासमौनं च स्नानं च नियमा दश नियमः स्यादनीहा च शौचं तुष्टिस्तपस् तथा

Transliteration

vratopavāsamaunaṃ ca snānaṃ ca niyamā daśa niyamaḥ syādanīhā ca śaucaṃ tuṣṭistapas tathā

Translation

Als zehn niyamas gelten: heilige Gelübde/Observanz (vrata), Fasten (upavāsa), Schweigen (mauna), rituelles Bad (snāna), Wunschlosigkeit (anīhā), Reinheit (śauca), innere Zufriedenheit (tuṣṭi) und Askese (tapas) — Disziplinen, die den paśu festigen und ihn für Hingabe an Pati, Śiva, bereiten.

Word by Word

• व्रत (vrata): sacred vow/observance

• उपवास (upavāsa): fasting/abstinence

• मौन (mauna): silence/vow of silence

• स्नान (snāna): ritual bath/purificatory bathing

• नियमाः (niyamāḥ): disciplines/observances

• दश (daśa): ten

• नियमः (niyamaḥ): niyama (religious discipline)

• स्यात् (syāt): is said to be/should be

• अनीहा (anīhā): absence of craving/effortless non-attachment

• शौच (śauca): purity/cleanliness

• तुष्टिः (tuṣṭiḥ): contentment/satisfaction

• तपस् (tapas): austerity/ascetic heat

• तथा (tathā): and so/also

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It lists core niyamas—vows, fasting, silence, bathing, purity, contentment, and austerity—that purify the paśu (individual soul) and make Linga-pūjā effective by reducing pasha (bondage) and stabilizing devotion to Pati (Śiva).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is implied as Pati—the liberating Lord—approached not merely by external rite but through inner disciplines (śauca, tuṣṭi, anīhā, tapas) that align the practitioner’s consciousness with Shiva-tattva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A niyama-based regimen aligned with Pāśupata discipline: vrata and upavāsa (ritual restraint), mauna (mind-control), snāna and śauca (purification), and tapas (austerity) as preparatory practice for Shaiva worship and yoga.