Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27

पूजास्थानशुद्धिः पात्रशोधनं च — Purification of the Worship-Space and Preparation of Ritual Vessels

Devanagari script

अष्टपत्राणि तस्याहुरणिमादिगुणाष्टकम् । केसराणि च वामाद्या रुद्रावामादिशक्तिभिः

Transliteration

aṣṭapatrāṇi tasyāhuraṇimādiguṇāṣṭakam | kesarāṇi ca vāmādyā rudrāvāmādiśaktibhiḥ

Translation

Mereka menyatakan bahwa delapan kelopaknya adalah delapan kualitas, mulai dari aṇimā. Dan benang sarinya adalah Vāmā dan lainnya—yakni Śakti seperti Rudrā, Vāmā, dan seterusnya—dengan mana Tuhan direnungkan secara bhakti.

Word by Word

• अष्ट-पत्राणि: eight petals
• अष्ट-पत्राणि: कर्म (Karma; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास = ‘eight petals’

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha; genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: क्रियापद (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; उत्तम? (No) प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; ‘they say’

• अणिमा-आदि-गुण-अष्टकम्: the eight qualities starting with aṇimā
• अणिमा-आदि-गुण-अष्टकम्: समानााधिकरण/उपपद-निर्देश (Predicate nominative/apposition to अष्टपत्राणि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणिमा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास = ‘the set of eight qualities beginning with aṇimā’

• केसराणि: stamens/filaments
• केसराणि: कर्म (Karma; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Samuccaya; coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वामा-आद्याः: Vāmā and the others
• वामा-आद्याः: कर्ता (Kartā; subject, understood with ‘(भवन्ति/सन्ति)’ or apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास = ‘Vāmā and others’ (a group-name)

• रुद्रा-वामा-आदि-शक्तिभिः: by/with the śaktis like Rudrā and Vāmā
• रुद्रा-वामा-आदि-शक्तिभिः: करण (Karaṇa; instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + वामा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास = ‘by/with the powers (śaktis) such as Rudrā, Vāmā, etc.’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vayu Samhita discourse to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

The verse encodes a yogic-Śaiva meditation symbol: the eight petals represent inner perfections (aṇimā and the rest), while the filaments signify Śakti-powers like Rudrā and Vāmā—showing that realization of Pati (Shiva) is approached through purification and the Lord’s grace-power (Śakti).

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

It supports Saguna upāsanā through a structured visualization: devotees contemplate Shiva together with His Śaktis and auspicious attributes, using a lotus/maṇḍala model that steadies the mind and makes Linga-dhyāna more inward and concentrated.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A lotus-based dhyāna: meditate on an eight-petalled lotus, place the eight siddhi-like qualities on the petals, and contemplate Shiva’s Śaktis (Rudrā, Vāmā, etc.) as the inner energizing principle—supporting mantra-japa and steady absorption.