Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 54

भक्ताधिकारि-द्विजधर्म-योगिलक्षणवर्णनम् / Duties of Qualified Devotees and Marks of Yogins

Devanagari script

तस्मात्कर्माण्यकृत्वा वा कृत्वा वांतर्बहिःक्रमात् । येन केनाप्युपायेन शिवे चित्तं निवेशयेत्

Transliteration

tasmātkarmāṇyakṛtvā vā kṛtvā vāṃtarbahiḥkramāt | yena kenāpyupāyena śive cittaṃ niveśayet

Translation

Darum, ob man handelt oder vom Handeln ablässt—ob man äußeren Riten folgt oder innerer Zucht—auf welche Weise auch immer: Man soll den Geist fest in Śiva verankern. Aus dieser gottzentrierten Sammlung erwachsen das Lockern der Fesseln und das Reifen der Befreiung.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore, from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (अपादान/ablative: 'therefore/from that')
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• karmāṇi: actions, rites
• karmāṇi: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• a-kṛtvā: without doing
• a-kṛtvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/absolutive modifying main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), निषेध-उपसर्ग 'a-' सहित; 'having not done'

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

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): 'having done'

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• antar-bahiḥ-kramāt: in inward-and-outward order
• antar-bahiḥ-kramāt: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: antar (अव्यय) + bahiḥ (अव्यय) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; 'krama' शब्दः पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (kramāt) — 'in due order, inward and outward' (ablatival adverbial)

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (करण/instrument: 'by which')
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• kena: by any (whatsoever)
• kena: Karana (करण/instrument: 'by what/any')
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• upāyena: by a means, method
• upāyena: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• śive: in Śiva
• śive: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• cittam: mind
• cittam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• niveśayet: should place (fix)
• niveśayet: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (धातु) with नि-उपसर्ग; causative √viś→veśaya
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; प्रेरणार्थक (causative) — 'should cause to enter/place'

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Mantra Metadata

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the essential practice is citta-niveśa—establishing the mind in Śiva (Pati). Whether through action, renunciation, outer worship, or inner yoga, the goal is unwavering Shiva-remembrance that dissolves bondage (pāśa) and matures liberation.

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

Outer krama can include Liṅga-pūjā, abhiṣeka, mantra-japa, bhasma and rudrākṣa observances—supports that gather the mind into Saguna Śiva. The verse affirms these aids while emphasizing the inner result: the mind becoming steadily lodged in Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Any effective upāya is endorsed—especially Panchākṣarī japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), Liṅga-dhyāna, and steady inward recollection while performing daily duties; the practical takeaway is to keep the mind continuously anchored in Śiva.