Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 14
अग्नीषोमात्मकविश्ववर्णनम् / The Universe as Agni–Soma
Fire and Nectar
यश्चेत्थं भस्मसद्भावं ज्ञात्वा स्नाति च भस्मना । अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मन्त्रैर्बद्धः पाशात्प्रमुच्यते
yaścetthaṃ bhasmasadbhāvaṃ jñātvā snāti ca bhasmanā | agnirityādibhirmantrairbaddhaḥ pāśātpramucyate
இவ்வாறு பஸ்மத்தின் உண்மைத் தன்மையை அறிந்து பஸ்மத்தால் ஸ்நானம் செய்து, “அக்னி…” முதலிய மந்திரங்களால் பந்திக்கப்பட்டு (அபிமந்திரிதமாக) பஸ்மம் அணிவோர் பாசப் பந்தத்திலிருந்து விடுபடுவர்।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Aghoramūrti
Mantra: “agni…”-ity-ādibhiḥ (mantras beginning with ‘Agni…’)
Type: rudram
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that bhasma is not mere ash but a Shaiva sacrament; when understood and used with mantra, it becomes a means for loosening pāśa—bondage created by impurity, karma, and delusion—leading the soul toward Shiva’s liberating grace.
Bhasma and mantras are external supports for Saguna Shiva worship: they consecrate the body as Shiva’s temple and align the devotee with Linga-centered ritual purity, devotion, and remembrance of Shiva’s transforming fire.
Know the doctrine of bhasma, then ritually bathe/apply bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) while reciting mantras beginning with “Agni…,” using the practice as both purification and continuous meditation on Shiva as the inner fire that burns bondage.