Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 57
यस्य यद्विहितं कर्म वेदे शास्त्रे च वैदिकैः । तस्य तेन समाचारः सदाचारो न चेतरः । सद्भिराचरितत्वाच्च सदाचारः स उच्यते । सदाचारस्य तस्याहुरास्तिक्यं मूलकारणम्
yasya yadvihitaṃ karma vede śāstre ca vaidikaiḥ | tasya tena samācāraḥ sadācāro na cetaraḥ | sadbhirācaritatvācca sadācāraḥ sa ucyate | sadācārasya tasyāhurāstikyaṃ mūlakāraṇam
Apa jua kewajipan yang ditetapkan bagi seseorang oleh Veda dan oleh śāstra yang diajarkan para ṛṣi Veda—hanya perilaku yang selaras dengannya itulah sadācāra, yakni tata laku mulia yang sejati, bukan yang lain. Kerana diamalkan oleh orang-orang berbudi, ia disebut sadācāra. Dan akar kepada sadācāra itu, kata mereka, ialah āstikya—iman kepada kewibawaan Veda dan śāstra, serta kepada Tuhan yang menjadi makna batin keduanya (Śiva, Sang Pati).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Significance: Establishes dhārmic eligibility (sadācāra rooted in āstikya) as the foundation for fruitful Śiva-upāsanā; supports the pilgrim’s inner purity (adhikāra) rather than a site-specific merit.
FAQs
The verse defines sadācāra (right conduct) as living according to Vedic and śāstric injunctions, and teaches that its foundation is āstikya—faith in scriptural authority and in Śiva as the inner ground of dharma—without which practice becomes mere personal preference.
Linga and Saguna-Śiva worship are not presented as arbitrary customs but as śāstra-guided disciplines; this verse frames such worship as sadācāra when performed in alignment with Vedic-śaiva prescriptions and sustained by āstikya (reverent trust in Śiva and scripture).
Adopt śāstra-based daily discipline: Shiva-pūjā with purity and restraint, japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and traditional śaiva observances (e.g., bhasma/tripuṇḍra and rudrākṣa where prescribed), grounded in āstikya rather than experimentation.