Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 49
ध्यानप्रकारनिर्णयः / Determination of the Modes of Meditation
on Śrīkaṇṭha-Śiva
कृत्वाप्यनशनं चैव हुत्वा चांगं शिवानले । क्षिप्त्वा वा शिवतीर्थेषु स्वदेहमवगाहनात्
kṛtvāpyanaśanaṃ caiva hutvā cāṃgaṃ śivānale | kṣiptvā vā śivatīrtheṣu svadehamavagāhanāt
Selbst wenn man Anāśana, das Fasten bis zum Tod, vollzieht, oder den eigenen Leib als Opfer in Śivas Feuer darbringt, oder sich in Śivas heilige Tīrthas stürzt und den Körper dort eintaucht—(durch solche Taten sucht man das Ende der leiblichen Fessel).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
Sthala Purana: The verse speaks generically of “Śiva-tīrthas” (Śiva’s sacred waters) and does not anchor the act to a specific Jyotirliṅga site; it frames tīrtha-maraṇa/avagāha as a sought means to end embodied bondage.
Significance: Affirms the purāṇic idea that death/immersion in Śiva-associated tīrthas, when oriented to Śiva, is believed to cut off further embodied bondage and hasten release.
FAQs
It highlights intense acts of renunciation and surrender associated with Shiva—fasting, self-offering, and holy immersion—as symbols of seeking release from pāśa (bondage) and turning the entire embodied life toward Pati (Shiva).
The verse frames Shiva as the accessible Lord through concrete sacred means—Shiva’s fire (ritual context) and Shiva’s tīrthas (pilgrimage waters)—which aligns with Saguna devotion where the seeker approaches Shiva through visible, sanctified forms and places.
It points to austerity (anaśana) and tīrtha-snana (bathing/immersion in Shiva’s sacred waters) as Shaiva acts of purification and surrender; the emphasis is on wholehearted devotion and renunciation rather than mere physical extremity.