Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22
श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः
The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva
वर्णाश्रमसमाचारो मया भूयः प्रकल्पितः । तस्मिन्भक्तिमतामेव मदीयानां तु वर्णिनाम् । अधिकारो न चान्येषामित्याज्ञा नैष्ठिकी मम
varṇāśramasamācāro mayā bhūyaḥ prakalpitaḥ | tasminbhaktimatāmeva madīyānāṃ tu varṇinām | adhikāro na cānyeṣāmityājñā naiṣṭhikī mama
„Die rechte Lebensordnung der Varṇas und Āśramas habe Ich (Śiva) immer wieder festgelegt. In dieser Disziplin haben nur Meine eigenen Verehrer unter den Menschen der Varṇas Anspruch auf ihre volle geistige Frucht; andere nicht. Dies ist Mein standhafter, unwandelbarer Befehl.“
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Defines adhikāra (eligibility) for varṇāśrama discipline as spiritually fruitful only when infused with bhakti; frames social-religious order as sustaining structure (sthiti) that must be oriented to Śiva to transcend bondage.
Offering: dhupa
FAQs
It teaches that varṇa-āśrama duties become spiritually efficacious when rooted in devotion to Shiva; mere social or ritual conformity without bhakti does not grant the same inner authority or liberating fruit.
It prioritizes Shiva-bhakti as the qualifier for true participation in Shiva’s dharma—devotional worship of the Linga (Saguna Shiva as the accessible form of Pati) is implied as the heart that makes external discipline spiritually meaningful.
The implied practice is bhakti-centered observance of dharma—regular Shiva-pūjā with mantra-japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) so that duties and conduct are performed as offerings to Shiva rather than as mere formalities.