Shloka 22

संन्यासाचारवर्णनम्

Description of the Conduct and Daily Discipline of Saṃnyāsa

Devanagari script

समद्य कमलद्वन्द्वं कुर्या केकं तु पंचधा । शिरोवदनहृद्गुह्यपादेषु परमेश्वरि

Transliteration

samadya kamaladvandvaṃ kuryā kekaṃ tu paṃcadhā | śirovadanahṛdguhyapādeṣu parameśvari

Translation

“Having then assumed the paired lotus-gesture (kamala-dvandva), one should perform the ‘keka’ placement in fivefold manner—upon the head, the face, the heart, the secret region, and the feet, O Supreme Goddess.”

Word by Word

• समद्य: having eaten/partaken
• समद्य: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) — ‘having eaten/partaken’; (contextually may indicate ‘having done together’ but form is from अद्)

• कमल-द्वन्द्वम्: a pair of lotuses
• कमल-द्वन्द्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल + द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म — ‘the lotus-pair (two lotuses)’

• कुर्यात्: should make/do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘should do/make’

• केकम्: keka (a ritual item/act)
• केकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म — ‘a keka (ritual act/arrangement; technical term)’

• तु: but; and then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/अनुयोग-निपात (contrastive particle)

• पञ्चधा: in fivefold manner
• पञ्चधा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + धा (प्रत्यय, अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (distributive adverb) — ‘in five ways/into five parts’

• शिरः-वदन-हृद्-गुह्य-पादेषु: on the head, face, heart, genitals, and feet
• शिरः-वदन-हृद्-गुह्य-पादेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् + वदन + हृद् + गुह्य + पाद (प्रातिपदिक); समाहार/सूची-समासः
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-समाहार, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; अधिकरण — ‘on/in the head, face, heart, secret part, and feet’

• परमेश्वरि: O Supreme Goddess
• परमेश्वरि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक); स्त्रीलिङ्ग-सम्बोधन
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन — ‘O Supreme Lady’

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches internalization of worship: the devotee sanctifies the whole body as Śiva’s abode through fivefold placement, aligning pashu (the soul) toward Pati (Śiva) by disciplined ritual awareness.

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

It complements external Saguna worship (such as Linga-pūjā) by adding an inner ritual—nyāsa/mudrā—so the body becomes a consecrated support for meditating on Śiva’s presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A five-part nyāsa/mudrā application—touching or placing mantra-intent on head, face, heart, guhya, and feet—often performed alongside mantra-japa (commonly the Pañcākṣarī) and Śaiva worship procedures.