Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 11

साधक-दीक्षा तथा मन्त्रसाधन

Puraścaraṇa and the Discipline of the Mantra-Sādhaka

Devanagari script

शुभे ऽहनि शुभे देशे काले वा दोषवर्जिते । शुक्लदन्तनखः स्नातः कृतपूर्वाह्णिकक्रियः

Transliteration

śubhe 'hani śubhe deśe kāle vā doṣavarjite | śukladantanakhaḥ snātaḥ kṛtapūrvāhṇikakriyaḥ

Translation

En un día propicio, en un lugar propicio, o en un tiempo libre de faltas, debe uno bañarse y purificarse—con dientes y uñas limpios y blancos—y habiendo cumplido debidamente los ritos de la mañana; así preparado, queda apto para proseguir con la adoración de Śiva y la disciplina contemplativa.

Word by Word

• śubhe: on an auspicious
• śubhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); used adjectivally qualifying 'ahani'

• ahani: day
• ahani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• śubhe: in an auspicious
• śubhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying 'deśe'

• deśe: place
• deśe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāle: time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction/particle (विकल्पार्थक): 'or'

• doṣa-varjite: free from defects
• doṣa-varjite: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: 'free from fault' (दोषैः वर्जितः)

• śukla-danta-nakhaḥ: having clean white teeth and nails
• śukla-danta-nakhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + danta (प्रातिपदिक) + nakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); Bahuvrīhi: 'one whose teeth and nails are white/clean'

• snātaḥ: bathed
• snātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); 'bathed'

• kṛta-pūrvāhṇika-kriyaḥ: having performed the morning rites
• kṛta-pūrvāhṇika-kriyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + pūrva-āhṇika (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); Bahuvrīhi: 'one who has performed the forenoon rites' (पूर्वाह्णिकक्रिया कृताऽस्य)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that outer cleanliness and orderly daily discipline support inner purity, making the seeker fit for Śiva-upāsanā; in Shaiva thought, such preparation steadies the mind for devotion and liberating knowledge.

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

It lays the preparatory qualifications for Linga worship—choosing an auspicious setting/time and approaching the Saguna form of Śiva with bodily and mental purity so the rite becomes a focused act of bhakti rather than mere formality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform morning nitya-karmas, bathe, maintain cleanliness, and then commence Śiva-pūjā and japa/meditation (commonly with the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), ideally at a दोषवर्जित (unblemished) time.