Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 41

स्कन्दसरः (Skandasara) — तीर्थवर्णनम् / Description of the Skandasara Sacred Lake

Devanagari script

काले कलौ च विषयैः कलुषायमाणे वाराणसीपरिसरे वसतिं विनेतुः । अथ च ते पशुपाशमुमुक्षयाखिलतया कृतपाशुपतव्रताः

Transliteration

kāle kalau ca viṣayaiḥ kaluṣāyamāṇe vārāṇasīparisare vasatiṃ vinetuḥ | atha ca te paśupāśamumukṣayākhilatayā kṛtapāśupatavratāḥ

Translation

カリの時代が到来し、衆生が感官の対象によって汚れゆくとき、彼らはヴァーラーナシーの近郊に住まいを定めた。ついで、パシュ（個我の魂）を縛る絆からの完全なる解放を求め、パーシュパタの戒（誓戒）を余すところなく修した。

Word by Word

• kāle: in (that) time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (काल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; locative absolute with kaluṣāyamāṇe

• kalau: in the Kali age
• kalau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (कलि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular; ‘in Kali (age)’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• viṣayaiḥ: by sense-objects
• viṣayaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (विषय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• kaluṣāyamāṇe: while becoming tainted
• kaluṣāyamāṇe: Kāla (काल; locative absolute circumstance)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kaluṣāya (कलुषाय धातु; denominative from kaluṣa)
• Form: Present middle participle (शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त), Masculine, Locative, Singular; ‘becoming impure’ (locative absolute)

• vārāṇasī-parisare: in the environs of Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasī-parisare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (वाराणसी प्रातिपदिक) + parisara (परिसर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ‘in the vicinity of Vārāṇasī’

• vasatim: dwelling, residence
• vasatim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasati (वसति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• vinetuḥ: to remove/lead away
• vinetuḥ: Prayojana (प्रयोजन; purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi+nī (विनि/नी धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त), ‘to lead away/remove’

• atha: then
• atha: Anantarya (अनन्तर्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ अव्यय)
• Form: Discourse particle (अनन्तर/आरम्भ)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• paśu-pāśa-mumukṣayā: by the wish to free from the animal-bond
• paśu-pāśa-mumukṣayā: Hetu (हेतु; motive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (पशु प्रातिपदिक) + pāśa (पाश प्रातिपदिक) + mumukṣā (मुमुक्षा प्रातिपदिक; desiderative noun from muc)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; multi-member तत्पुरुष: ‘by the desire to liberate (from) the bonds of beings’

• akhilatāyā: completely
• akhilatāyā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akhilatā (अखिलता प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; adverbial instrument ‘wholly/entirely’

• kṛta-pāśupata-vratāḥ: having undertaken the Pāśupata vow
• kṛta-pāśupata-vratāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृत; from kṛ धातु) + pāśupata (पाशुपत प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (व्रत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; तत्पुरुष: ‘having undertaken the Pāśupata vow’ qualifying te

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Vārāṇasī is Śiva’s avimukta-kṣetra where liberation is specially accessible; in Kali’s defilement, seekers choose Kāśī’s environs and adopt Pāśupata discipline to cut paśu–pāśa bondage under Viśvanātha’s guardianship.

Significance: Residence/sojourn near Kāśī and Śiva-upāsanā are portrayed as antidotes to Kali’s viṣaya-kaluṣa; supports the ideal of mumukṣutva (desire for release) and vrata-based purification.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Kali-yuga (moral/spiritual decline through viṣaya-kaluṣa)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that in Kali-yuga, when sense-enjoyments easily pollute the mind, the seeker should turn to Shiva-centered discipline; by adopting the Pāśupata path one aims at liberation from pāśa (bondage) and realization of Pati (Lord Shiva) as the true refuge.

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

Vārāṇasī is upheld as a foremost Shaiva kṣetra where Saguna worship—especially Linga-upāsanā—supports inner purification; through vows and worship, devotion matures into knowledge that Shiva alone is the liberating Lord beyond bondage.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse points to undertaking Pāśupata-vrata—Shaiva observances emphasizing restraint from sense-objects, disciplined worship of Shiva (often with mantra-japa such as the Panchakshara), and a life oriented to renunciation and liberation.