Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 31

द्वितीयतृतीयावरणपूजाक्रमः | The Sequence of the Second and Third Enclosure Worship (Āvaraṇa-pūjā)

Devanagari script

ऐशानादिषु विन्यस्य द्वितीयावरणे यजेत् । सोममंगारकं चैव बुधं बुद्धिमतां वरम्

Transliteration

aiśānādiṣu vinyasya dvitīyāvaraṇe yajet | somamaṃgārakaṃ caiva budhaṃ buddhimatāṃ varam

Translation

Having installed them in the quarters beginning with Īśāna, one should worship in the second enclosure as well—Soma (the Moon), Maṅgāraka (Mars), and Budha (Mercury), the foremost among the intelligent—as attendants within Śiva’s sacred maṇḍala.

Word by Word

• aiśāna-ādiṣu: in the Īśāna and other directions
• aiśāna-ādiṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समासान्त; स्थानवाचक (locative plural: in the Īśāna etc. directions)

• vinyasya: having placed/arranged
• vinyasya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + √nyas (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having placed/arranged’

• dvitīya-āvaraṇe: in the second enclosure
• dvitīya-āvaraṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक) + āvaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; ‘द्वितीयम् आवरणम्’ (locative singular)

• yajet: should worship
• yajet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; विधिः (should worship/sacrifice)

• somam: Soma (Moon)
• somam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद (accusative singular)

• aṅgārakam: Aṅgāraka (Mars)
• aṅgārakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद (accusative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: and)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle: indeed/just)

• budham: Budha (Mercury)
• budham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद (accusative singular)

• buddhimatām: of the intelligent
• buddhimatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive plural: of the intelligent)

• varam: best; excellent
• varam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (accusative singular qualifying ‘budham’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Soma
• Mangala (Mars)
• Budha (Mercury)

FAQs

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

It teaches that even cosmic forces like the grahas are to be approached as subordinate powers within Śiva’s sacred order—when worship is Shiva-centered, planetary influences are harmonized rather than feared, supporting clarity, devotion, and steadiness on the path to liberation.

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

The verse presumes a ritual maṇḍala with enclosures (āvaraṇas) around the central deity—typical of Saguna Śiva/Śiva-liṅga worship—where attendants and cosmic deities are honored in their proper stations while Śiva remains the supreme focus (Pati).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests āvaraṇa-pūjā: placing (vinyāsa) deities in specific directions starting from Īśāna and worshipping them in the second enclosure—practically done alongside Shiva mantra-japa (e.g., Pañcākṣarī) to keep the mind aligned with Śiva while performing the directional offerings.