Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

तत्र वामादिकान्रुद्रानष्टौ वामादिशक्तिभिः । अर्चयेद्वा न वा पश्चात्पूर्वादिपरितः क्रमात्

Transliteration

tatra vāmādikānrudrānaṣṭau vāmādiśaktibhiḥ | arcayedvā na vā paścātpūrvādiparitaḥ kramāt

Translation

There one should worship the eight Rudras beginning with Vāma, together with the Śaktis beginning with Vāmā—whether one performs that worship or not; thereafter one should proceed in proper order, moving around (the maṇḍala) starting from the East and the other directions.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण-सूचक (Locative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• वाम-आदिकान्: beginning with Vāma (Vāmadeva etc.)
• वाम-आदिकान्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (आदि-समास: वामः आदिः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (rudrān qualifies)

• रुद्रान्: Rudras
• रुद्रान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (numeral used adjectivally with रुद्रान्)

• वाम-आदि-शक्तिभिः: with the Vāma etc. Śaktis
• वाम-आदि-शक्तिभिः: करणम् (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (आदि-समास: वामादयः शक्तयः); स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; करणार्थे

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (temporal/sequence adverb ‘afterwards’)

• पूर्व-आदि-परितः: around (starting) from the east etc.
• पूर्व-आदि-परितः: क्रियाविशेषण/अधिकरण-सूचक (Adverbial/Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः (पूर्वादि + परितः = ‘around/from the east etc.’); अव्ययत्वेन क्रियाविशेषणम्

• क्रमात्: in order
• क्रमात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (‘in order/stepwise’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudras
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It emphasizes krama (right order) in worship: honoring Śiva’s Rudra-aspects together with Śakti, and moving directionally with discipline—symbolizing that liberation arises when devotion is aligned with cosmic order (ṛta) and the unity of Pati (Śiva) with His powers.

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

The eight Rudras are Saguna manifestations of the one Śiva; worshiping them (and their Śaktis) is a structured way of approaching the Linga as the central Pati, while the directional sequence reflects the Linga-pūjā pattern of invoking attendant deities around the sanctum.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A maṇḍala-style or āvaraṇa-style pūjā: worship the Rudras with their Śaktis, then proceed in sequence beginning from the East. Practically, this can be done with mantra-japa (including Pañcākṣarī), offerings, and mindful circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā) in the prescribed order.