Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 49

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

बहिरेव तु पद्मस्य पञ्चमावरणे क्रमात् । दशदिक्पतयः पूज्याः सास्त्राः सानुचरास्तथा

Transliteration

bahireva tu padmasya pañcamāvaraṇe kramāt | daśadikpatayaḥ pūjyāḥ sāstrāḥ sānucarāstathā

Translation

Ensuite, à l’extérieur du lotus—sur son cinquième cercle d’enceinte, selon l’ordre prescrit—doivent être adorés les Seigneurs des dix directions, avec leurs armes et aussi leurs cortèges d’assistants.

Word by Word

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Adhikaraṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• tu: but/and
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast

• padmasya: of the lotus (diagram)
• padmasya: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• pañcama-āvaraṇe: in the fifth enclosure
• pañcama-āvaraṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcama (प्रातिपदिक) + āvaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: 'the fifth enclosure'

• kramāt: in sequence/stepwise
• kramāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान) (adverbial source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); adverbial ablative: 'in due order/stepwise'

• daśa-dik-patayaḥ: the lords of the ten directions
• daśa-dik-patayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक) + diś (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'lords of the ten directions'

• pūjyāḥ: to be worshipped
• pūjyāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) (predicate: 'are to be worshipped')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (कृदन्त; pūj धातु, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); gerundive (भाव्य/कर्तव्य) used predicatively

• sa-astrāḥ: with weapons
• sa-astrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'with weapons' (सह-सम्बन्ध)

• sa-anucarāḥ: with attendants
• sa-anucarāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक) + anucara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'with attendants'

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/particle (तुल्यताबोधक अव्यय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse belongs to a ritual/maṇḍala-krama instruction where dikpālas are installed on an outer āvaraṇa (protective enclosure) around the central Śiva-pūjā.

Significance: Frames Śiva-worship with dik-bandhana (directional protection), emphasizing completeness and ritual safety; merit accrues by honoring Śiva’s cosmic order (ṛta) through his appointed guardians.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches krama (ordered, concentric worship): honoring the dikpālas around the lotus-mandala establishes cosmic harmony and protection so the central devotion may culminate in Shiva, the Pati beyond all directions.

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

In āvaraṇa-pūjā, the linga (Saguna focus for meditation) is worshipped with surrounding circles of divine powers; the dikpālas form an outer protective ring, acknowledging Shiva’s sovereignty over all space and guardians.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform āvaraṇa-pūjā on a lotus diagram: after inner offerings, worship the ten direction-lords in the fifth enclosure with their astras and attendants, while maintaining Shiva-mantra japa (such as the Panchakshara) as the central contemplation.