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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1

शिवाश्रम-नित्यनैमित्तिककर्मविधिः / Śaiva Āśrama-Duties: Daily and Occasional Rites

Morning Purity & Bath Procedure

Devanagari script

कृष्ण उवाच । भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि शिवाश्रमनिषेविणाम् । शिवशास्त्रोदितं कर्म नित्यनैमित्तिकं तथा

Transliteration

kṛṣṇa uvāca | bhagavañchrotumicchāmi śivāśramaniṣeviṇām | śivaśāstroditaṃ karma nityanaimittikaṃ tathā

Translation

கிருஷ்ணன் கூறினான்—ஓ பகவனே! சிவாஶ்ரமத்தை அனுசரிப்போரின் ஒழுக்கத்தை நான் கேட்க விரும்புகிறேன்; சிவசாஸ்திரங்களில் கூறப்பட்ட நித்தியக் கடமைகளும் நைமித்திக விதிக் கிரியைகளும் சொல்லுங்கள்।

Word by Word
कृष्णःKrishna
कृष्णः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
भगवन्O Lord
भगवन्:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
TypeNoun
Rootभगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन
श्रोतुम्to hear
श्रोतुम्:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable infinitive)
इच्छामिI wish
इच्छामि:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootइष् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन
शिव-आश्रम-निषेविणाम्of those who resort to Shiva’s āśrama (discipline)
शिव-आश्रम-निषेविणाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootशिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + निषेविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शिवस्य आश्रमः → शिवाश्रमः; शिवाश्रमं निषेवते इति निषेविन्)
शिव-शास्त्र-उदितम्declared in the Śiva-śāstra
शिव-शास्त्र-उदितम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootशिव (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (कृदन्त, √वद्/√उद्?; here ‘उदित’ as ‘said/declared’)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः: शिवशास्त्रेण उदितम् (declared in Shiva’s scripture)
कर्मduty/ritual action
कर्म:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
नित्य-नैमित्तिकम्daily and occasional (rites)
नित्य-नैमित्तिकम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootनित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (नित्यं च नैमित्तिकं च)
तथाand also; likewise
तथा:
Avyaya (अव्यय/Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: ‘also/likewise’)
Speaker

Krishna

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities
K
Krishna
S
Shiva

FAQs

It frames Śiva-bhakti as a disciplined path: seekers should learn the Śaiva duties (karmas) that purify the soul and make it fit for Śiva’s grace, distinguishing steady daily practice from occasion-based rites.

By asking for the Śiva-śāstra–taught duties, Kṛṣṇa points toward regulated Saguna worship—such as Śiva-pūjā to the Liṅga—performed as nitya observance, with special naimittika rites on sacred days.

The verse signals two layers of practice: daily Śiva-oriented discipline (nitya)—often including mantra-japa like the Pañcākṣarī—and occasional observances (naimittika) such as vrata and festival worship, typically supported by Śaiva marks like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa where prescribed.

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