Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

रक्षणं सर्ववर्णानां युद्धे शत्रुवधस्तथा । दुष्टपक्षिमृगाणां च दुष्टानां शातनं नृणाम्

Transliteration

rakṣaṇaṃ sarvavarṇānāṃ yuddhe śatruvadhastathā | duṣṭapakṣimṛgāṇāṃ ca duṣṭānāṃ śātanaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

หน้าที่ของเขาคือคุ้มครองชนทุกวรรณะ และในสนามรบให้ปราบสังหารศัตรู อีกทั้งกำจัดนกและสัตว์ร้ายที่ชั่วร้าย และลงทัณฑ์กดปราบคนพาลให้สงบ

Word by Word

• रक्षणम्: protection
• रक्षणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्व-वर्णानाम्: of all social classes
• सर्व-वर्णानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वे वर्णाः)

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शत्रु-वधः: slaying of the enemy
• शत्रु-वधः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु-वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शत्रोः वधः)

• तथा: and also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थक

• दुष्ट-पक्षि-मृगाणाम्: of wicked birds and beasts
• दुष्ट-पक्षि-मृगाणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट-पक्षि-मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पक्षिणः च मृगाः च) ‘दुष्ट’ इति विशेषणपूर्वक

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

• दुष्टानाम्: of wicked (people)
• दुष्टानाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘नृणाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शातनम्: destroying, suppression
• शातनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames kṣatriya-protective duty as dharmic preservation (sthiti) that safeguards conditions for worship, temples, and pilgrimage routes.

FAQs

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

It defines righteous governance as dharma-in-action: protecting all people and restraining adharma, so society can pursue devotion, duty, and liberation under a stable moral order aligned with Shiva as Pati (the supreme Lord).

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

Saguna Shiva is honored not only through ritual but through dharmic conduct; a ruler who protects and corrects wrongdoing upholds Shiva’s cosmic order, making governance itself a form of service to the Lord symbolized by the Linga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse primarily teaches ethical discipline (dharma) rather than a specific rite; as a Shaiva takeaway, one may reinforce this duty with daily Panchakshara japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and a vow to protect and act justly.