Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 38

काम्यकर्मविभागः — Taxonomy of Kāmya (Desire-Motivated) Śaiva Rites

Devanagari script

प्रणवेन शिवेनैव शक्तियुक्तेन च क्रमात् । शांतेन वा तथान्यैश्च वेदमन्त्रैश्च कृत्स्नशः

Transliteration

praṇavena śivenaiva śaktiyuktena ca kramāt | śāṃtena vā tathānyaiśca vedamantraiśca kṛtsnaśaḥ

Translation

Man soll das Ritual der rechten Reihenfolge gemäß durch die Praṇava (Oṁ) und ebenso durch das Mantra „Śiva“, mit Śakti verbunden, vollziehen; oder andernfalls durch das Śānti-Mantra und ebenso durch die übrigen vedischen Mantras in ihrer Gesamtheit.

Word by Word

• praṇavena: by the praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇavena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रणव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• śivena: by (the mantra/name) Śiva
• śivena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (शिव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle (निपात/अवधारण)

• śakti-yuktena: with (one) endowed with śakti
• śakti-yuktena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakti (शक्ति प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (युक्त कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘endowed with power’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• kramāt: in sequence/step by step
• kramāt: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (क्रम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; adverbial sense ‘in due order/stepwise’

• śāntena: by the Śānta (mantra/peaceful one)
• śāntena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (शान्त प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; adjective used substantively (विशेषण-प्रयोग)

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

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• anyaiḥ: by other (mantras)
• anyaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (अन्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• veda-mantraiḥ: by Vedic mantras
• veda-mantraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (वेद प्रातिपदिक) + mantra (मन्त्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘Vedic mantras’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• kṛtsnaśaḥ: entirely
• kṛtsnaśaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛtsnaśas (कृत्स्नशस् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) meaning ‘entirely/altogether’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: praṇava (Oṃ); ‘śiva’ (śiva-nāma) śaktiyukta; śānti-mantra; other Vedic mantras

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva-worship is most effective when mantra is applied with proper order (krama) and inner power (Śakti), using Oṁ, Shiva-mantras, and peace-invoking Vedic formulas to harmonize the worshipper and the rite.

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

It supports Saguna worship by prescribing mantra-based upacāra for Shiva—commonly directed to the Liṅga—where Oṁ, Shiva-mantras, and Śānti-mantras sanctify the external ritual while aligning the mind with Shiva as Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A structured mantra-krama: begin with Praṇava (Oṁ), apply Shiva-mantra joined with Śakti (devotional power and focused intention), and conclude or stabilize the rite with Śānti-mantras and appropriate Vedic recitations.