Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

संकुलीकृत्य तद्भस्म विरजानलसंभवम् । अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मंत्रैः षड्भिराथर्वणैः क्रमात्

Transliteration

saṃkulīkṛtya tadbhasma virajānalasaṃbhavam | agnirityādibhirmaṃtraiḥ ṣaḍbhirātharvaṇaiḥ kramāt

Translation

Then, having thoroughly mixed that sacred ash—born of the pure Virajā fire—one should, in due order, consecrate it with the six Atharvan mantras beginning with “Agni…”.

Word by Word

• संकुलीकृत्य: having mixed/combined
• संकुलीकृत्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संकुली√कृ (धातु; कृ—करणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: कृ, उपसर्ग/प्रयोग: संकुली- (causative/denominative sense)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: कर्म (Karma/Direct object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विरज-अनल-सम्भवम्: born from smokeless fire
• विरज-अनल-सम्भवम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरज (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष—‘विरजः अनलः’ (smokeless fire) तस्मात् सम्भवम् = ‘born from smokeless fire’; agrees with भस्म

• अग्निः: ‘Agni’
• अग्निः: उपपद/उद्धरण (Name/quotation head)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध/उद्धरणसूचक (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotation particle (इति-प्रयोग)

• आदिभिः: beginning with (etc.)
• आदिभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘etc.’ sense; forms compound with preceding quotation: अग्निरिति-आदिभिः

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; numeral adjective qualifying मन्त्रैः

• आथर्वणैः: Atharvan (Vedic)
• आथर्वणैः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying मन्त्रैः (Atharvan-related)

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-निभम्; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् ‘in order/stepwise’ (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Referenced) ṣaḍ ātharvaṇa-mantrāḥ beginning with “agnir …” for bhasma-saṃskāra (exact pāṭha not quoted in the verse).

Type: rudram

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that bhasma is not mere ash but a sanctified Shaiva sacrament: when prepared from a purified fire and empowered by Vedic mantras, it becomes a means of inner purification and remembrance of Pati (Shiva) that loosens pāśa (bondage).

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

Consecrated bhasma is a key aid in Saguna Shiva worship—especially before Linga-pūjā—marking the body as Shiva’s temple and aligning the worshipper with Śiva-tattva through ritual purity and mantra-śakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests preparing and sanctifying bhasma from a pure fire, then empowering it step-by-step with six Atharvan mantras (starting with “Agni”), as a prerequisite to practices like Tripuṇḍra application and subsequent mantra-japa.