Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15

षडध्व-शुद्धिः

Purification of the Six Adhvans / Sixfold Cosmic Path

Devanagari script

स्थापयेत्पञ्चकलशान्दिक्षु मध्ये च देशिकः । तेषु ब्रह्माणि मूलार्णैर्बिन्दुनादसमन्वितैः

Transliteration

sthāpayetpañcakalaśāndikṣu madhye ca deśikaḥ | teṣu brahmāṇi mūlārṇairbindunādasamanvitaiḥ

Translation

The officiating teacher should set up five ritual pots—one in each direction and one in the center. In those vessels he should install the presiding divine principles (brahmaṇi) by means of the root syllables, endowed with bindu and nāda.

Word by Word

• sthāpayet: should place/establish
• sthāpayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative sense: cause to be placed)

• pañca-kalaśān: five pots
• pañca-kalaśān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (अव्यय/संख्या) + kalaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (Dvigu: pañca-saṅkhyāyuktaḥ), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• dikṣu: in the directions
• dikṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• deśikaḥ: the teacher/officiant
• deśikaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• teṣu: in those (pots)
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• brahmāṇi: Brahma-mantras / sacred formulas (brahmans)
• brahmāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• mūla-arṇaiḥ: with root-syllables
• mūla-arṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha: mūlāni arṇāni), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bindu-nāda-samanvitaiḥ: endowed with bindu and nāda
• bindu-nāda-samanvitaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bindu (प्रातिपदिक) + nāda (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha: bindunādena samanvitaiḥ), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (agreeing with arṇaiḥ as neuter plural), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Implied use of mūlārṇa/bīja with bindu-nāda for kalaśa-āvaraṇa installation; specific syllables not quoted in the verse.)

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that outer consecration mirrors inner yoga: arranging five kalaśas and invoking mantra-śakti (mūlārṇa with bindu-nāda) symbolizes ordering the practitioner’s energies around Shiva as Pati, the supreme center.

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

The kalaśa-sthāpana is a preparatory consecration for Saguna worship—inviting divine presence into ritual supports—so the subsequent Linga-pūjā is performed with properly invoked śakti and established directions.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A guided consecration where the deśika installs mantra-seeds (root syllables) with awareness of bindu (concentrated point) and nāda (subtle sound), aligning ritual space and the mind for Shiva-mantra japa and worship.