Shloka 63

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

शिवाग्निरिति संप्रोक्तस्तेन दग्धं शिवाग्निजम् । कपिलागोमयं पूर्वं केवलं गव्यमेव वा

Transliteration

śivāgniriti saṃproktastena dagdhaṃ śivāgnijam | kapilāgomayaṃ pūrvaṃ kevalaṃ gavyameva vā

Translation

ആ അഗ്നിയെ “ശിവാഗ്നി” എന്നു പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു; ആ ശിവാഗ്നിയിൽ ദഗ്ധമായതു ശിവാഗ്നിജമായ പവിത്ര ഭസ്മമാകുന്നു. ആദ്യം കപിലാ പശുവിന്റെ ഗോമയം ദഹിപ്പിക്കണം, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശുദ്ധ ഗോമയം മാത്രം।

Word by Word

• śiva-agniḥ: Śiva-fire (sacred fire)
• śiva-agniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śivasya agniḥ)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-प्रयोगः)

• samproktaḥ: is declared
• samproktaḥ: Karma (कर्म) / Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + √vac (वच्) (धातु) → samprokta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘having been declared/said’

• tena: by that / with that
• tena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• dagdham: burnt
• dagdham: Karma (कर्म) / Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dah (दह्) (धातु) → dagdha (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with śivāgnijam

• śiva-agnijam: that which is produced from the Śiva-fire (ash)
• śiva-agnijam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + agni + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः—‘śivāgner jātaṃ’ (born from Śiva-fire)

• kapilā-gomayam: dung of a tawny cow
• kapilā-gomayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā + gomaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः—‘kapilāyāḥ gomayam’ (dung of a tawny cow)

• pūrvam: first / beforehand
• pūrvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण), ‘first/beforehand’

• kevalam: only
• kevalam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः) meaning ‘only/merely’

• gavyam: cow-derived (substance)
• gavyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘from cow / cow-derived (product)’

• eva: indeed / just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/option)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: शिवाग्निरिति संप्रोक्तः

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It sanctifies bhasma as “Śiva-born” when produced through a consecrated Śiva-fire, emphasizing purity and Śiva’s grace as the basis of ritual and inner purification in Shaiva practice.

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

Bhasma prepared through Śiva-agni is a key Shaiva upacāra (offering/mark) used in Saguna Shiva worship—especially alongside Linga worship—signifying surrender of ego and the transient nature of the body.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Prepare sacred ash by burning cow-dung (preferably kapilā-cow dung) in a consecrated Śiva-fire, then apply it as bhasma/Tripuṇḍra with Shiva-mantras as a daily discipline of purification and remembrance of Śiva.