Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 48

अग्निकार्य-होमविधिः

Agnikārya and Homa Procedure

Devanagari script

आज्यधारादिहोमं च कृत्वा स्विष्टकृतं ततः । रमित्यनेन बीजेन परिषिंचेत्ततः परम्

Transliteration

ājyadhārādihomaṃ ca kṛtvā sviṣṭakṛtaṃ tataḥ | ramityanena bījena pariṣiṃcettataḥ param

Translation

Nachdem man das Homa vollzogen hat, beginnend mit der ājyadhārā (dem Ghee-Opferstrom), und danach den Abschlussritus namens sviṣṭakṛt, soll man anschließend (die geweihte Substanz) mit dem Bīja-Mantra „ram“ besprengen, als nächsten Schritt.

Word by Word

• आज्यधारा-आदि-होमम्: the homa beginning with Ājyadhārā (etc.)
• आज्यधारा-आदि-होमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्यधारा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म; ‘ājyadhārā etc.’-type homa (enumerative tatpuruṣa with आदि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• स्विष्टकृतम्: the Sviṣṭakṛt offering/rite
• स्विष्टकृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्विष्टकृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (name of an offering/rite)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (thereafter)

• रम्: (the bīja) ‘ram’
• रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम् (मन्त्र-बीज/प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; मन्त्रपद (seed-syllable as object of ‘with/using’)

• इति: thus/‘…’
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणार्थक (quotative particle)

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• बीजेन: with the seed(-mantra)
• बीजेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• परिषिञ्चेत्: should sprinkle all around
• परिषिञ्चेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-स्यन्द्/सिच् (धातु: सिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: परि-

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (thereafter)

• परम्: afterwards/further
• परम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative); उत्तरकाल/अनन्तरार्थक (after that/further)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: राम् (ram)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that Shaiva worship is both inner devotion and precise sacred action: the rite is completed properly (sviṣṭakṛt) and then sealed by mantra-powered purification, aligning the offering with Shiva’s sanctifying grace.

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

In Saguna Shiva worship, offerings to the sacred fire and subsequent sprinkling/asperging are treated as extensions of Linga-upacāra—external acts that purify the devotee and the ritual materials so the worship becomes fit for Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes a homa sequence: perform ājyadhārā and related offerings, complete with sviṣṭakṛt, then do pariṣiñcana (ritual sprinkling) empowered by the bīja “ram” as a purification step.