Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 56

अग्निकार्य-होमविधिः

Agnikārya and Homa Procedure

Devanagari script

अपक्वमतिपाक्वं च संत्यज्य भसितं सितम् । आदाय वा समालोड्य भस्माधारे विनिक्षिपेत्

Transliteration

apakvamatipākvaṃ ca saṃtyajya bhasitaṃ sitam | ādāya vā samāloḍya bhasmādhāre vinikṣipet

Translation

Rejetant la cendre insuffisamment brûlée ou trop brûlée, qu’on prenne la cendre blanche et pure. Puis, l’ayant recueillie et soigneusement tamisée, qu’on la dépose dans un récipient approprié destiné à la bhasma.

Word by Word

• अपक्वम्: unbaked/uncooked
• अपक्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपक्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of what is to be rejected)

• अति-पाक्वम्: over-baked/over-cooked
• अति-पाक्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पाक्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (अतिशयेन पाक्वम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• संत्यज्य: having discarded
• संत्यज्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having completely abandoned’

• भसितम्: ash
• भसितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भसित (प्रातिपदिक; √भस्/भस्मीकृ क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• सितम्: white
• सितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of भसितम्)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having taken’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• समालोड्य: having mixed thoroughly
• समालोड्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लुड्/लोड् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having well-stirred/mixed’

• भस्म-आधारे: in the ash-container
• भस्म-आधारे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘भस्मनः आधारः’; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• विनिक्षिपेत्: should place/deposit
• विनिक्षिपेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should deposit/place’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches disciplined purity in bhasma (vibhuti) practice: the devotee rejects defective ash and preserves only clean, sattvic bhasma, reflecting the Shaiva Siddhanta aim of removing impurity (mala) and cultivating steadiness in worship of Pati (Shiva).

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

Bhasma is a key Shaiva upachara used alongside Linga worship and tripundra; preparing and storing it correctly supports orderly, reverent saguna worship while reminding the devotee of Shiva’s transcendence over the perishable body.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Select only properly prepared white bhasma, sift/mix it cleanly, and store it in a dedicated bhasma-holder for later application as tripundra during daily puja, japa, and observances like Mahashivratri.