Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 9

द्वितीयतृतीयावरणपूजाक्रमः | The Sequence of the Second and Third Enclosure Worship (Āvaraṇa-pūjā)

Devanagari script

श्रीकण्ठं नैरृते पत्रे तच्छक्तिं तस्य वामतः । तथैव मारुते पत्रे शिखंडीशं समर्चयेत्

Transliteration

śrīkaṇṭhaṃ nairṛte patre tacchaktiṃ tasya vāmataḥ | tathaiva mārute patre śikhaṃḍīśaṃ samarcayet

Translation

നൈഋത (തെക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ദളത്തിൽ ശ്രീകണ്ഠനെ പൂജിക്കണം; അവന്റെ ഇടത്തുവശത്ത് അവന്റെ ശക്തിയെയും പൂജിക്കണം. അതുപോലെ മാരുത (വായു) ദളത്തിൽ ശിഖണ്ഡീശനെ സമ്യകായി അർച്ചിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• śrī-kaṇṭham: Śrīkaṇṭha
• śrī-kaṇṭham: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रीमान् कण्ठः)

• nairṛte: in the southwest (Nairṛta)
• nairṛte: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of patre)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nairṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-विशेषण (in the southwest)

• patre: in the petal/leaf
• patre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/in)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• tat-śaktim: his/that śakti
• tat-śaktim: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘तस्य शक्तिः’)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• vāmataḥ: on the left (side)
• vāmataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): वामतः = left side/from the left

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• mārute: in the Vāyu (Maruta) direction
• mārute: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of patre)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māruta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-विशेषण (in the northwest/Vāyu quarter)

• patre: in the petal
• patre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/in)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• śikhaṇḍīśam: Śikhaṇḍīśa
• śikhaṇḍīśam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhaṇḍin (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘शिखण्डिनः ईशः’)

• samarcayet: should worship duly
• samarcayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-arc (समर्च् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya teachings to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Śrīkaṇṭha (Auspicious-throated) evokes the samudra-manthana episode where Śiva holds the hālāhala poison, but this verse uses the name as a maṇḍala-deity rather than a specific shrine legend.

Significance: Meditation on Śrīkaṇṭha is traditionally linked with purification of inner toxins (doṣa) and steadiness in sādhana.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It teaches ordered, mindful Saguna-upāsanā: Shiva is worshipped in specific forms within a sacred mandala, and His Śakti is honored at His left—showing that divine consciousness (Śiva) and power (Śakti) are worshipped together for completeness of sādhanā.

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

The verse assumes a ritual mandala/lotus arrangement used alongside linga-pūjā or image worship, where distinct names/forms of Shiva are invoked by direction; this is Saguna worship that stabilizes devotion and concentration before deeper contemplative realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform lotus/yantra-based pūjā by placing (mentally or ritually) Śrīkaṇṭha in the south‑west petal and Śakti to His left, then worship Śikhaṇḍīśa in the wind-quarter petal—supporting japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with directional visualization.