Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 40

षडध्व-शुद्धिः

Purification of the Six Adhvans / Sixfold Cosmic Path

Devanagari script

अशस्ताशामुखे तस्मिन्गुरुस्तद्दोषशांतये । शतमर्धं तदर्धं वाजुहुयान्मूलमन्त्रतः

Transliteration

aśastāśāmukhe tasmingurustaddoṣaśāṃtaye | śatamardhaṃ tadardhaṃ vājuhuyānmūlamantrataḥ

Translation

Wird der Ritus zu jener Zeit mit Blick in eine unheilvolle Richtung begonnen, so soll der Guru, um diesen Makel zu besänftigen, mit dem Wurzelmantra (mūla-mantra) Opfergaben ins Feuer darbringen: hundert, oder die Hälfte davon, oder wiederum die Hälfte der Hälfte.

Word by Word

• aśastā: inauspicious
• aśastā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-śasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'inauspicious/forbidden')

• āśā: direction/quarter
• āśā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'direction/quarter')

• mukhe: in/at the face (i.e., facing)
• mukhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neut loc sg)

• tasmin: in that (case/situation)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc sg: 'in that/there')

• guruḥ: the guru
• guruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc nom sg)

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen sg: 'of that')

• doṣa: fault
• doṣa: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'fault/defect')

• śāntaye: for pacification
• śāntaye: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (dat sg)

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut nom/acc sg)

• ardham: half
• ardham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut nom/acc sg)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut nom/acc sg)

• ardham: half
• ardham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut nom/acc sg)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• juhuyāt: should offer (into fire)
• juhuyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should offer; 3rd sg)

• mūla: root/primary
• mūla: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (in compound; 'root/primary')

• mantrataḥ: according to the root-mantra
• mantrataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablatival adverb: 'according to/from')

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Rudra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Guru

FAQs

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

It teaches that mistakes in worship (doṣa) need not obstruct devotion when corrected through the Guru’s guidance and mantra-based expiation, reaffirming Shiva’s grace-oriented path in Shaiva Siddhanta.

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

Directional and procedural purity supports focused Saguna worship (such as Linga-pūjā), and the remedy prescribed—homa with the root mantra—restores the ritual’s alignment so the offering may properly reach Lord Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Doṣa-śānti through homa: offer 100 oblations (or 50, or 25) into the fire while reciting the mūlamantra under the Guru’s direction.