Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 3

आवरणपूजाविधानम् / The Procedure of Āvaraṇa (Enclosure) Worship

Devanagari script

तत्रेशानादिसद्यांतं रुद्राद्यस्त्रांतमेव च । शिवस्य वा शिवायाश्च प्रथमावरणे जपेत्

Transliteration

tatreśānādisadyāṃtaṃ rudrādyastrāṃtameva ca | śivasya vā śivāyāśca prathamāvaraṇe japet

Translation

അവിടെ ആദ്യ ആവരണത്തിൽ ഈശാനത്തിൽ തുടങ്ങി സദ്യോജാതം വരെ ജപിക്കണം; അതുപോലെ രുദ്രത്തിൽ തുടങ്ങി അസ്ത്രം വരെ കൂടി—ശിവനുവേണ്ടിയോ ശിവാ (ദേവി)യ്ക്കുവേണ്ടിയോ।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there; in that (āvaraṇa)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• ईशान-आदि-सद्यः-अन्तम्: (the set) from Īśāna etc. up to Sadyaḥ
• ईशान-आदि-सद्यः-अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + सद्यः (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आदि…अन्त ‘from … to …’)

• रुद्र-आदि-अस्त्र-अन्तम्: (the set) from Rudra etc. up to the weapons (astra)
• रुद्र-आदि-अस्त्र-अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आदि…अन्त)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunction)

• शिवायाः: of Śivā (Pārvatī)
• शिवायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रथम-आवरणे: in the first enclosure
• प्रथम-आवरणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक) + आवरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (प्रथमं आवरणम्)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Defines āvaraṇa-japa using the five-face/pañcabrahma complex (Īśāna…Sadyojāta) and protective Rudra-to-Astra sequence, indicating that liberation-oriented worship is safeguarded and completed by mantra-śakti; also explicitly allows parallel worship for Śiva and Śivā, underscoring their inseparability in ritual economy.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Referenced sequence) Īśāna…Sadyojāta; Rudra…Astra (protective astra-mantra).

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shiva (Shivā/Parvati)
• Ishana
• Sadyojata
• Rudra

FAQs

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

It teaches ordered mantra-japa within the first āvaraṇa of worship, honoring Śiva’s fivefold divine presence (from Īśāna to Sadyojāta) and invoking protection through the astra principle—showing that mantra, order, and inner purity are central to approaching Pati (Śiva) in Shaiva practice.

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

Āvaraṇa worship is commonly performed around the Liṅga as a saguna focus: the devotee invokes Śiva’s sacred aspects and protective mantras in concentric order, treating the Liṅga as the ritual center while contemplating Śiva as the supreme reality who is beyond form yet graciously present in form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes japa in the first āvaraṇa—reciting mantras associated with Īśāna through Sadyojāta and Rudra through Astra—either dedicated to Śiva or to Śivā, as part of structured pūjā/nyāsa and protective invocation.