Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वासुदेवम्पूर्वभागे दक्षिणे चानिरुद्धकम् । सौम्ये संकर्षणञ्चैव प्रद्युम्नम्पश्चिमे यजेत्

Transliteration

vāsudevampūrvabhāge dakṣiṇe cāniruddhakam | saumye saṃkarṣaṇañcaiva pradyumnampaścime yajet

Translation

One should worship Vāsudeva in the eastern quarter; Aniruddha in the southern; Saṅkarṣaṇa in the northern; and Pradyumna in the western quarter.

Word by Word

• वासुदेवम्: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पूर्व-भागे: in the eastern part
• पूर्व-भागे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पूर्वस्य भागः)

• दक्षिणे: in the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• अनिरुद्धकम्: Aniruddha
• अनिरुद्धकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिरुद्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• सौम्ये: in the north (saumya quarter)
• सौम्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• संकर्षणम्: Saṅkarṣaṇa
• संकर्षणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्रद्युम्नम्: Pradyumna
• प्रद्युम्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Vasudeva
• Aniruddha
• Sankarshana
• Pradyumna

FAQs

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

It teaches ordered, direction-based worship (dik-nyāsa/dik-pūjā), training the mind toward sacred discipline and inner alignment—an aid to steadiness (sthiti) that supports devotion to Pati (Śiva) as the indwelling Lord beyond all forms.

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

Directional worship functions as an auxiliary rite that harmonizes the worship-space around the central deity; in a Śaiva setting, such placements support Saguna upāsanā while pointing to Śiva as the supreme ground in which all divine functions are gathered.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform directional worship by placing or mentally invoking these deities in the four quarters before or alongside the main pūjā; as a meditative practice, visualize the quarters becoming purified and stabilized, then return awareness to the central object of worship with mantra-recitation.