Shloka 7

Kṣaura-Snāna-Vidhi — Rite of Tonsure/Shaving and Purificatory Bath (Śaiva Procedure)

Devanagari script

क्षुरं गृहीत्वा तारेण दक्षभागे निकृन्तयेत् । केशांश्च कांश्चि दग्रेषु वप्त्वा सर्वं च वापयेत्

Transliteration

kṣuraṃ gṛhītvā tāreṇa dakṣabhāge nikṛntayet | keśāṃśca kāṃści dagreṣu vaptvā sarvaṃ ca vāpayet

Translation

Nimmt man ein Rasiermesser und spricht das Tāraka (das Praṇava „Oṃ“), so soll man zuerst die rechte Seite scheren. Nachdem man vorn einige Haarpartien gekürzt hat, soll man schließlich alles vollständig abrasieren.

Word by Word

• क्षुरम्: razor
• क्षुरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having taken’

• तारेण: with a thread/string
• तारेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन

• दक्ष: right (side)
• दक्ष: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/compound relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (in compound relation)

• भागे: in the part/region
• भागे: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन

• निकृन्तयेत्: should cut off
• निकृन्तयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√कृत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• केशान्: hairs
• केशान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कान्: some (of them)
• कान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (interrogative/indefinite pronoun used as ‘some’)

• चित्: some, certain
• चित्: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) forming indefinites (e.g., कांश्चित्)

• अग्रेषु: at the tips/front parts
• अग्रेषु: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), बहुवचन

• वप्त्वा: having shaved
• वप्त्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वप् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having shaved/trimmed’

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वापयेत्: should cause to be shaved/remove
• वापयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वप् (धातु) (causative: वापय-)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: ॐ (तारक/प्रणव)

Type: panchakshara

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches outer purification as a support for inner discipline: bodily restraint and mantra-remembrance (Praṇava) prepare the practitioner to approach Lord Shiva with steadiness and humility.

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

Such preparatory acts are part of approaching Saguna Shiva through formal worship—cleansing and simplifying the body-mind so the devotee can focus on Linga-upāsanā with purity and single-pointed devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A preparatory shaving rite performed while reciting the Tāraka/Praṇava (‘Oṃ’), emphasizing mantra-japa alongside physical purification before undertaking Shiva worship or a vow.