Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 31

समयाह्वय-संस्कारः — Rite of ‘Samayāhvaya’ and the Preparatory Layout

Maṇḍapa, Vedi, Kuṇḍas, Maṇḍala, Śiva-kumbha

Devanagari script

स्वयं प्राग्वदनस्तिष्ठन्नूर्ध्वकायं कृतांजलिम् । संप्रोक्ष्य प्रोक्षणौतोयैर्मूर्धन्यस्त्रेण मुद्रया

Transliteration

svayaṃ prāgvadanastiṣṭhannūrdhvakāyaṃ kṛtāṃjalim | saṃprokṣya prokṣaṇautoyairmūrdhanyastreṇa mudrayā

Translation

Nach Osten gewandt soll er selbst aufrecht stehen, die Hände in ehrfürchtigem Añjali gefaltet; dann soll er sich mit dem zum Besprengen bereiteten Wasser durch Besprengung reinigen und, indem er die Mudrā des Mūrdhanya-Astra-Mantras formt, die schützende Weihe für das Ritual verleihen.

Word by Word

• svayam: oneself
• svayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• prāk: eastward/forward
• prāk: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिक्वाचक (eastward/forward)

• vadanam: face
• vadanam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'face')

• tiṣṭhan: standing
• tiṣṭhan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → tiṣṭhant (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nom sg; 'standing')

• ūrdhva: upright
• ūrdhva: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'upright/raised')

• kāyam: with body held upright
• kāyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (ऊर्ध्वकाय = ऊर्ध्वः कायः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc acc sg; used adjectivally)

• kṛta: made
• kṛta: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'made')

• añjalim: hands joined in reverence
• añjalim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: añjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृताञ्जलि = कृतः अञ्जलिः येन), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc acc sg)

• saṃprokṣya: having sprinkled
• saṃprokṣya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-ukṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having sprinkled)

• prokṣaṇa: sprinkling (rite)
• prokṣaṇa: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prokṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'sprinkling')

• toyais: with waters
• toyais: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neut instr pl)

• mūrdhani: on the head
• mūrdhani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masc loc sg; 'on the head')

• astreṇa: with the astra-mantra for the head
• astreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मूर्धन्यस्त्र = मूर्धनि अस्त्रं/अस्त्र-मन्त्रः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instr sg)

• mudrayā: with (a) mudrā/hand-gesture
• mudrayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (fem instr sg)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (mūrdhanya-astra mantra referenced, text not quoted in the verse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shaiva worship begins with inner and outer purification—upright posture, reverent añjali, and consecration through mantra—so the devotee becomes a fit vessel for Shiva’s grace (anugraha) and the removal of bonds (pāśa).

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

Before approaching the Śiva-liṅga (Saguna worship), the practitioner performs protective and purifying preliminaries—directional orientation, prokṣaṇa water, and an astra-mantra mudrā—so the act of offering becomes ritually pure and spiritually focused on Shiva as Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Stand facing east, keep the body steady and upright, join the palms in añjali, sprinkle consecrated water for purification, and apply a protective ‘astra’ mantra with its prescribed mudrā as a safeguard and preparation for further japa/puja.