Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 87

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

यो ऽन्वहं द्वादशाहं वा व्रतमेतत्समाचरेत् । सो ऽपि नैष्ठिकतुल्यः स्यात्तीव्रव्रतसमन्वयात्

Transliteration

yo 'nvahaṃ dvādaśāhaṃ vā vratametatsamācaret | so 'pi naiṣṭhikatulyaḥ syāttīvravratasamanvayāt

Translation

Wer dieses Gelübde täglich übt oder auch nur zwölf Tage lang, wird einem lebenslang standhaften naiṣṭhika gleich—denn diese Zucht ist mit strenger Askese verbunden.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• anvaham: daily
• anvaham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anu + ahan (अव्ययीभाव-समास/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• dvādaśa-aham: for twelve days
• dvādaśa-aham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या) + ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/option marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• vratam: vow
• vratam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण ‘एतद्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• samācaret: should practice/perform
• samācaret: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (चर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम ‘तद्’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (also/even)

• naiṣṭhika-tulyaḥ: equal to a naiṣṭhika
• naiṣṭhika-tulyaḥ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधान-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naiṣṭhika (प्रातिपदिक) + tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमान/सादृश्य: ‘नैष्ठिकस्य तुल्यः’); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tīvra-vrata-samanvayāt: due to the association with a severe vow
• tīvra-vrata-samanvayāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīvra (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विशेषणपूर्वक: ‘तीव्रं व्रतं तस्य समन्वयः’); पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Introduces time-bound vrata (daily or dvādaśāha) that yields naiṣṭhika-equivalence—typical Purāṇic framing of condensed sādhana producing accelerated merit and grace.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere, intense observance of a Shaiva vow—even for a limited time—can confer the merit of lifelong steadiness, because tapas united with devotion purifies the bound soul (paśu) and loosens bondage (pāśa) by Shiva’s grace (Pati).

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

The verse praises disciplined vow-observance as a direct support for Saguna Shiva worship—such as Linga-puja—where regularity and intensity of practice cultivate naiṣṭhikā-bhakti (firm devotion) and make the worshipper ‘like a steadfast votary’.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It recommends undertaking a structured vrata with daily commitment, or a focused twelve-day observance, ideally paired with Shaiva disciplines such as mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya), purity rules, and intensified worship.