Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

संकुलीकृत्य तद्भस्म विरजानलसंभवम् । अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मंत्रैः षड्भिराथर्वणैः क्रमात्

Transliteration

saṃkulīkṛtya tadbhasma virajānalasaṃbhavam | agnirityādibhirmaṃtraiḥ ṣaḍbhirātharvaṇaiḥ kramāt

Translation

പിന്നീട് വിരജാ-അഗ്നിയിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ച ആ ഭസ്മം നന്നായി കലർത്തി, ‘അഗ്നി…’ എന്നു തുടങ്ങുന്ന ആഥർവണത്തിലെ ആറു മന്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ ക്രമമായി അതിനെ സംസ്കരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• संकुलीकृत्य: having mixed/combined
• संकुलीकृत्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संकुली√कृ (धातु; कृ—करणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: कृ, उपसर्ग/प्रयोग: संकुली- (causative/denominative sense)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: कर्म (Karma/Direct object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विरज-अनल-सम्भवम्: born from smokeless fire
• विरज-अनल-सम्भवम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरज (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष—‘विरजः अनलः’ (smokeless fire) तस्मात् सम्भवम् = ‘born from smokeless fire’; agrees with भस्म

• अग्निः: ‘Agni’
• अग्निः: उपपद/उद्धरण (Name/quotation head)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध/उद्धरणसूचक (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotation particle (इति-प्रयोग)

• आदिभिः: beginning with (etc.)
• आदिभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘etc.’ sense; forms compound with preceding quotation: अग्निरिति-आदिभिः

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; numeral adjective qualifying मन्त्रैः

• आथर्वणैः: Atharvan (Vedic)
• आथर्वणैः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying मन्त्रैः (Atharvan-related)

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-निभम्; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् ‘in order/stepwise’ (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Referenced) ṣaḍ ātharvaṇa-mantrāḥ beginning with “agnir …” for bhasma-saṃskāra (exact pāṭha not quoted in the verse).

Type: rudram

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that bhasma is not mere ash but a sanctified Shaiva sacrament: when prepared from a purified fire and empowered by Vedic mantras, it becomes a means of inner purification and remembrance of Pati (Shiva) that loosens pāśa (bondage).

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

Consecrated bhasma is a key aid in Saguna Shiva worship—especially before Linga-pūjā—marking the body as Shiva’s temple and aligning the worshipper with Śiva-tattva through ritual purity and mantra-śakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests preparing and sanctifying bhasma from a pure fire, then empowering it step-by-step with six Atharvan mantras (starting with “Agni”), as a prerequisite to practices like Tripuṇḍra application and subsequent mantra-japa.