Shloka 51

मुक्तयतिदेहसंस्काररहस्यं — The Esoteric Rites for the Bodies of Liberated Ascetics

Devanagari script

खनित्वा देवयजनं दण्डमात्रप्रमाणतः । प्रणवव्याहृतिभ्यां च प्रोक्ष्य चास्तीर्य्य च क्रमात्

Transliteration

khanitvā devayajanaṃ daṇḍamātrapramāṇataḥ | praṇavavyāhṛtibhyāṃ ca prokṣya cāstīryya ca kramāt

Translation

ଦଣ୍ଡମାତ୍ର ପ୍ରମାଣ ଅନୁସାରେ ଦେବଯଜନ-ସ୍ଥଳ ଖୋଦି, ପ୍ରଣବ ଓ ବ୍ୟାହୃତି ସହିତ ଜଳଦ୍ୱାରା ପ୍ରୋକ୍ଷଣ କରି ଶୁଦ୍ଧ କରିବା ଉଚିତ; ପରେ କ୍ରମେ ଆସ୍ତରଣ ପସାଇବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• खनित्वा: having dug
• खनित्वा: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √khan (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having dug’

• देव-यजनम्: the altar/worship-spot
• देव-यजनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-yajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (देवानां यजनम् / worship-place/altar for gods); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दण्ड-मात्र-प्रमाणतः: according to the measure of a staff-length
• दण्ड-मात्र-प्रमाणतः: Pramāṇa (प्रमाण/मात्रा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daṇḍa-mātra-pramāṇatas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (दण्डमात्रं प्रमाणं यस्य/दण्डमात्रप्रमाण); ‘-तः’ तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (according to measure)

• प्रणव-व्याहृतिभ्याम्: with Oṃ and the vyāhṛtis
• प्रणव-व्याहृतिभ्याम्: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava-vyāhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः द्वन्द्वः (प्रणवः च व्याहृतयः च); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• प्रोक्ष्य: having sprinkled
• प्रोक्ष्य: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√ukṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having sprinkled’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• आस्तीर्य: having spread
• आस्तीर्य: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√stṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having spread (strewn)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘in order/stepwise’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ (praṇava) + vyāhṛtayaḥ: bhūḥ bhuvaḥ svaḥ (and extended mahāvyāhṛtis in some prayogas)

Type: gayatri

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shaiva worship begins with inner and outer purification—measuring, preparing, and sanctifying the worship-space while invoking Oṁ and the vyāhṛtis, aligning the devotee’s action with cosmic order.

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

The verse describes the preliminary rite for establishing a purified sacred area where Saguna Shiva is approached in worship—typically culminating in Linga-pūjā performed on a ritually consecrated ground.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Prepare a dedicated altar-space, then perform prokṣaṇa (sprinkling for purification) while chanting Oṁ with the vyāhṛtis, proceeding step-by-step—an outer discipline that supports focused mantra-japa and devotional concentration.