Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

शिवाचार्याभिषेकविधिः / Rite of Consecrating a Śiva-Teacher (Śivācārya Abhiṣeka)

Devanagari script

कृत्वा रक्षादिकं तत्र बद्ध्वा मुद्रां च धैनवीम् । अभिमंत्र्य घटान्हुत्वा पूर्णांतं च यथा पुरा

Transliteration

kṛtvā rakṣādikaṃ tatra baddhvā mudrāṃ ca dhainavīm | abhimaṃtrya ghaṭānhutvā pūrṇāṃtaṃ ca yathā purā

Translation

അവിടെ രക്ഷാദിക കർമ്മങ്ങൾ നടത്തി ധൈനവീ മുദ്ര ബന്ധിച്ച്, കലശങ്ങളെ മന്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ അഭിമന്ത്രിക്കണം; തുടർന്ന് ഹോമം നടത്തി പൂർവ്വവതമായി പൂർണാഹുതി വരെ കർമ്മം സമാപിപ്പിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• रक्षा-आदिकम्: protection and related rites
• रक्षा-आदिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-समासार्थ: 'protection etc.'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• बद्ध्वा: having bound/fastened
• बद्ध्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive) √बन्ध्; अव्ययभाव

• मुद्राम्: mudrā (ritual hand-gesture/seal)
• मुद्राम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• धैनवीम्: Dhainavī (name of a mudrā)
• धैनवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धैनवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; मुद्रां विशेषयति

• अभिमन्त्र्य: having consecrated by mantra
• अभिमन्त्र्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund) from अभि-√मन्त्र्; अव्ययभाव

• घटान्: pots
• घटान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• हुत्वा: having offered (into fire)
• हुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive) √हु; अव्ययभाव

• पूर्ण-अन्तम्: the concluding pūrṇāhuti/end-rite
• पूर्ण-अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कर्म)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकार (as)

• पुरा: before/earlier
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/before)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Mantra Metadata

Type: kavaca

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: protective

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shaiva worship is completed through orderly purification: protection (rakṣā), mantra-empowerment (abhimantrana), and the concluding offering (pūrṇāhuti), aligning the devotee’s action with Śiva’s sacred order (dharma) and inner discipline.

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

These steps are part of saguna upāsanā—formal worship where Śiva is approached through consecrated supports (like vessels, offerings, and homa). The external precision supports internal one-pointedness toward the Liṅga as Śiva’s accessible form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform protective preliminaries, apply the prescribed mudrā, consecrate the ritual vessels with mantra, and complete the homa with a pūrṇāhuti—practicing steady mantra-awareness throughout the sequence.