Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23

शिवाचार्याभिषेकविधिः / Rite of Consecrating a Śiva-Teacher (Śivācārya Abhiṣeka)

Devanagari script

समभ्यर्च्य शिवं भूयः कृत्वा चाध्वविशोधनम् । तस्मिन्परिसमाप्ते तु पुनर्देवं प्रपूजयेत्

Transliteration

samabhyarcya śivaṃ bhūyaḥ kṛtvā cādhvaviśodhanam | tasminparisamāpte tu punardevaṃ prapūjayet

Translation

Nachdem man den Herrn Śiva abermals ordnungsgemäß verehrt und die Reinigung des adhvan (des rituellen Pfades und seiner Prinzipien) vollzogen hat, soll man, wenn dies vollendet ist, den Gott—Śiva—erneut verehren.

Word by Word

• समभ्यर्च्य: having duly worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अभि+अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/त्वा-प्रत्यय), अव्ययभाव; धातु: अर्च् (पूजायाम्) with उपसर्ग सम्+अभि; ‘having duly worshipped’

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; धातु: कृ (करणे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• अध्व-विशोधनम्: purification of the adhvan (ritual path)
• अध्व-विशोधनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विशोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: अध्वस्य विशोधनम् (purification of the path)

• तस्मिन्: in that (when that)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• परिसमाप्ते: (when) completed
• परिसमाप्ते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि+सम्+आप् (धातु) → परिसमाप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle); सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक (सप्तमी-एकवचन रूप ‘-e’); ‘when (it is) completed’

• तु: then, however
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle/निपात), विरोध/अनुक्रमसूचक

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• देवम्: the god (deity)
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: पूज् (पूजायाम्) with उपसर्ग प्र

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva-worship is not merely an external offering but a repeated, deepening approach: after purifying the “path” (adhvan)—one’s mantra, principles (tattvas), and inner instruments—one returns to worship with a cleaner consciousness, aligning the soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati) by loosening bonds (pāśa).

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

In Saguna worship—often centered on the Śiva-liṅga—ritual purity and inner purification support effective upāsanā. The verse indicates a structured pūjā sequence: worship Śiva, perform adhva-śodhana (refining the ritual and inner pathway), then worship again, making the offering more inwardly grounded.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests adhva-śodhana as a deliberate purification step within Śiva pūjā—commonly supported by mantra-japa (e.g., Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), mental nyāsa/visualization of tattva-purification, and then renewed offering to Śiva with steadier devotion.