Shiva Purana — Vidyesvara Samhita, Shloka 35

भस्म-प्रकार-त्रिपुण्ड्र-धारण-विधिः

Types of Bhasma and the Method of Wearing Tripuṇḍra

Devanagari script

पंचब्रह्मादिमनुभिर्गृहस्थस्य विधीयते । त्रियंबकेन मनुना विधिर्वै ब्रह्मचारिणः

Transliteration

paṃcabrahmādimanubhirgṛhasthasya vidhīyate | triyaṃbakena manunā vidhirvai brahmacāriṇaḥ

Translation

गृहस्थ के लिए पंचब्रह्म आदि मंत्रों द्वारा विधि निर्धारित है; और ब्रह्मचारी के लिए त्र्यम्बक-मंत्र द्वारा ही विधि कही गई है।

Word by Word

• paṃca-brahma-ādi-manubhiḥ: by the mantras/manus beginning with Pañcabrahma
• paṃca-brahma-ādi-manubhiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃca-brahma-ādi-manu (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + ब्रह्म + आदि + मनु)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• gṛhasthasya: of the householder
• gṛhasthasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vidhīyate: is prescribed/is enjoined
• vidhīyate: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Passive (कर्मणि प्रयोग)

• triyaṃbakena: with Tryambaka (mantra/name)
• triyaṃbakena: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: triyaṃbaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• manunā: by the manu/mantra
• manunā: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vidhiḥ: the rule/rite
• vidhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphatic/assurance

• brahmacāriṇaḥ: of the brahmacārin (celibate student)
• brahmacāriṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Tryambaka

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Tryambakeśvara

Sthala Purana: The verse explicitly foregrounds the Triyambaka mantra; Tryambakeśvara is the jyotirliṅga associated with the Three-eyed Lord, and its sthala traditions connect the site with Gautama Ṛṣi and the Godāvarī’s sacred emergence, making it a natural locus for Triyambaka-centered discipline.

Significance: Triyambaka mantra-japa is linked with protection, purification, and longevity; at Tryambakeśvara it is especially associated with prayoga for well-being and spiritual steadiness in brahmacarya.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam | urvārukamiva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt

Type: mahamrityunjaya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It distinguishes ashrama-specific Shaiva discipline: the householder is guided by the Pañcabrahma-oriented injunctions, while the brahmacārin is anchored in the Triyambaka-mantra—showing that mantra-based niyama is tailored to one’s stage of life for inner purity and Shiva-realization.

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

Both Pañcabrahma and Triyambaka are mantra-approaches to Saguna Shiva worship, commonly applied in Linga-upāsanā: the devotee uses mantra and discipline to purify the pashu (bound soul) and approach Pati (Shiva) through regulated worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt mantra-niyama according to one’s ashrama: for brahmacarya, steady japa and meditation on Triyambaka (the Three-eyed Shiva); for gṛhastha, regulated Shiva worship supported by Pañcabrahma-based observances alongside daily japa.