Shloka 19

त्रिपुरदीक्षाविधानम् — Tripura Dīkṣā: Prescriptive Procedure

Chapter on the Ordinance of Initiation

Devanagari script

गंतुमर्हसि नाशार्थं मुण्डिंस्त्रिपुरवासिनाम् । तमोधर्मं संप्रकाश्य नाशयस्व पुरत्रयम्

Transliteration

gaṃtumarhasi nāśārthaṃ muṇḍiṃstripuravāsinām | tamodharmaṃ saṃprakāśya nāśayasva puratrayam

Translation

Du sollst ausziehen zum Zwecke der Vernichtung – um die Mundins niederzustrecken, die in Tripura weilen. Nachdem du ihre tamasische Lebensweise vollends offenbart hast, zerstöre die drei Städte.

Word by Word

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावे कृदन्त (Infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular)

• नाशार्थम्: for destruction
• नाशार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उद्देश्य-भाव: नाशस्य अर्थः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• मुण्डिन्: the shaven-headed one (Muṇḍin)
• मुण्डिन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• त्रिपुरवासिनाम्: of the inhabitants of Tripura
• त्रिपुरवासिनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: त्रिपुरे वसन्ति), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तमोधर्मम्: the dark/ignorant dharma
• तमोधर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तमसः धर्मः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• संप्रकाश्य: having made manifest / having revealed
• संप्रकाश्य: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-काश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय कृदन्त (Gerund/त्वान्त), पूर्वक्रिया

• नाशयस्व: destroy (you)
• नाशयस्व: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश्/नाशय् (धातु; णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पुरत्रयम्: the three cities (Tripura)
• पुरत्रयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रयाणि पुराणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Shiva (issuing a command within the Tripura-destruction narrative)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Tripura episode: Śiva commands the exposure of tamasic conduct and the destruction of the three cities—symbolically the dissolution of triple impurities/bondages.

Shakti Dimension

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Tripura

FAQs

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

The verse frames Shiva’s act of destruction as dharma-restoration: tamasic conduct (delusion, violence, egoic power) is first exposed, then removed by the Lord so that order and the path to liberation can re-emerge under divine grace.

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

Tripura-vadha highlights Saguna Shiva as the active Lord who intervenes in history to protect dharma. For devotees, Linga-worship is devotion to that same Shiva—both immanent and transcendent—who dispels darkness (tamas) and grants purification.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is tamas-nivṛtti (removal of inertia and delusion) through steady japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” supported by sattvic discipline; on Mahāśivarātri, this is traditionally intensified with night-long worship and inner vigilance.