Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

दक्षिणे पश्चिमे पश्चाद्रुद्रं सावरणं यजेत् । तस्य ब्रह्मषडंगानि प्रथमावरणं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

dakṣiṇe paścime paścādrudraṃ sāvaraṇaṃ yajet | tasya brahmaṣaḍaṃgāni prathamāvaraṇaṃ smṛtam

Translation

Au sud, à l’ouest et à l’arrière, qu’on célèbre Rudra avec les divinités de son enceinte. Pour ce Rudra, les six auxiliaires de Brahman (ṣaḍ-aṅga) sont tenus pour le premier cercle d’enveloppement du culte.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणे: in the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दक्षिणम् दिशि), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; दिक्शब्दप्रयोग (locative of direction)

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (पश्चिमम् दिशि), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: behind / afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/क्रमवाचक (behind/after)

• रुद्रम्: Rudra
• रुद्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सावरणम्: together with (his) enclosure/retinue
• सावरणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + आवरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सहित-भाव: ‘with enclosure/retinue’) (रुद्रम् इति विशेष्य)

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्मषडंगानि: the six limbs of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मषडंगानि: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + षड् + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (षडङ्गानि) + तत्पुरुषसम्बन्ध (ब्रह्मणः षडङ्गानि)

• प्रथमावरणम्: the first enclosure
• प्रथमावरणम्: Pratijna/Predicate-noun (विधेय/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथम + आवरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (प्रथमम् आवरणम्)

• स्मृतम्: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘is considered/remembered’ (elliptic copula)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Brahman

FAQs

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

It teaches that Rudra is worshipped not only as the central Lord (Pati) but also through an ordered sacred “enclosure” (āvaraṇa), expressing that the Supreme is approached by disciplined, reverent stages that purify the practitioner and stabilize devotion.

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

Āvaraṇa-pūjā is a Saguna method: the devotee honors Rudra in a structured mandala around the Linga or Rudra-seat, recognizing His manifest powers and attendants while keeping Rudra as the center and goal of worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform directional worship (south, west, and behind) as part of a mandala/enclosure sequence, offering pūjā to Rudra together with the first āvaraṇa identified as the “six aṅgas,” i.e., an ordered auxiliary set supporting mantra and worship discipline.