Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 38

षडध्व-शुद्धिः

Purification of the Six Adhvans / Sixfold Cosmic Path

Devanagari script

प्रक्षाल्य दंतपवनं त्यक्त्वाचम्य शिवं स्मरेत् । प्रविशेद्देशिकादिष्टः प्रांजलिः शिवमण्डलम्

Transliteration

prakṣālya daṃtapavanaṃ tyaktvācamya śivaṃ smaret | praviśeddeśikādiṣṭaḥ prāṃjaliḥ śivamaṇḍalam

Translation

Après avoir lavé le bâtonnet pour les dents et accompli l’ācamana, qu’il se souvienne de Śiva. Selon l’instruction du maître, les paumes jointes en révérence, qu’il entre alors dans le Śiva-maṇḍala, l’espace consacré au culte de Śiva.

Word by Word

• prakṣālya: having washed
• prakṣālya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṣāl (प्र+क्षाल् धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta (क्त्वान्त) absolutive/gerund; having washed/cleansed

• danta-pavanam: tooth-cleaning twig/brush
• danta-pavanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक) + pavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘dantānāṃ pavanaḥ’

• tyaktvā: having discarded
• tyaktvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta (क्त्वान्त) absolutive/gerund; having abandoned/discarded

• ācamya: having performed ācamana (sipping water)
• ācamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√cam (आ+चम् धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta (क्त्वान्त) absolutive/gerund; having sipped (water) / performed ācamana

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• smaret: should remember
• smaret: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• praviśet: should enter
• praviśet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (प्र+विश् धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• deśika-ādiṣṭaḥ: instructed by the teacher
• deśika-ādiṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deśika (प्रातिपदिक) + ādiṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘deśikena ādiṣṭaḥ’ (instructed/commanded by the teacher)

• prāñjaliḥ: with folded hands
• prāñjaliḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāñjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); ‘with joined palms’

• śiva-maṇḍalam: Śiva’s mandala/sacred circle
• śiva-maṇḍalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘śivasya maṇḍalam’ (Śiva’s mandala)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s ritual discipline as taught in the Vāyavīya Saṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that outer cleanliness and inner recollection (smaraṇa) must precede worship—purity of body and mind prepares the devotee to approach Pati (Śiva) with reverence, aligning action with devotion in a Shaiva Siddhanta spirit.

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

Entering the Śiva-maṇḍala implies approaching the consecrated space where Śiva is worshipped in a manifest form—often as the Liṅga—so the devotee first performs ācamana and then remembers Śiva, uniting ritual (kriyā) with devotion (bhakti).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform ācamana for purification, then do Śiva-smaraṇa (mental remembrance/meditation) and enter the worship area with añjali, following the guru’s instruction—an orderly preparation for mantra-japa and pūjā.