Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 11

भक्ताधिकारि-द्विजधर्म-योगिलक्षणवर्णनम् / Duties of Qualified Devotees and Marks of Yogins

Devanagari script

वानप्रस्थाश्रमस्थानां समानमिदमिष्यते । रात्रौ न भोजनं कार्यं सर्वेषां ब्रह्मचारिणाम्

Transliteration

vānaprasthāśramasthānāṃ samānamidamiṣyate | rātrau na bhojanaṃ kāryaṃ sarveṣāṃ brahmacāriṇām

Translation

వానప్రస్థాశ్రమంలో స్థితులైనవారికీ ఇదే నియమం విధించబడింది. సమస్త బ్రహ్మచారులు రాత్రివేళ భోజనం చేయకూడదు.

Word by Word

• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रम-स्थानाम्: of those situated in the vānaprastha-āśrama
• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रम-स्थानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ-आश्रम-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (आश्रमस्थाः) + तत्पुरुषः (वानप्रस्थाश्रमः)

• समानम्: the same, identical
• समानम्: Pratijna-predicative (विधेय/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘इदम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इष्यते: is considered/accepted
• इष्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भोजनम्: eating, meal
• भोजनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: to be done/should be done
• कार्यम्: Pratijna-predicative (विधेय/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be done’); विधेय-विशेषणम् ‘भोजनम्’ इत्यस्य

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘ब्रह्मचारिणाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्मचारिणाम्: of brahmacārins (celibate students)
• ब्रह्मचारिणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Supports vrata-like restraint (night-fasting) as purification (mala-kṣaya) aiding receptivity to Śiva’s grace.

FAQs

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

It teaches austerity and sense-restraint (indriya-nigraha) through regulated eating, supporting purity (śuddhi) and steadiness for Shiva-oriented sādhanā that leads the bound soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati).

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

Linga-worship emphasizes inner and outer purity; avoiding night भोजन reduces tamas and supports alertness for japa, dhyāna, and pūjā, making devotion to Saguna Shiva more focused and sattvic.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt a disciplined diet (no night-meal), and use the gained clarity for nightly Shiva practices such as Panchākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and quiet meditation; if observing vratas like Mahāśivarātri, this aligns naturally with fasting and restraint.