Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

प्रथमं कर्म यज्ञादेर्भक्त्या वित्तानुसारतः । बाह्येभ्यर्च्य शिवं पश्चादंतर्यागरतो भवेत्

Transliteration

prathamaṃ karma yajñāderbhaktyā vittānusārataḥ | bāhyebhyarcya śivaṃ paścādaṃtaryāgarato bhavet

Translation

ประการแรกพึงประกอบกรรม เช่น ยัญญะและหน้าที่ต่าง ๆ ด้วยภักติ ตามกำลังทรัพย์ของตน ครั้นบูชาพระศิวะด้วยพิธีภายนอกแล้ว ต่อไปพึงมุ่งมั่นสู่อันตรยาคะ คือยัญญะภายใน

Word by Word

• प्रथमम्: first; firstly
• प्रथमम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial use)

• कर्म: ritual act; action
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• यज्ञादेः: of sacrifice and the like
• यज्ञादेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; components: यज्ञ + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Gen.), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr.), एकवचन

• वित्तानुसारतः: according to one’s means/wealth
• वित्तानुसारतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वित्त-अनुसार (प्रातिपदिक; components: वित्त + अनुसार)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ततः/तः) अर्थे—‘अनुसारतः’ = according to

• बाह्येभ्यः: from external (rites)
• बाह्येभ्यः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Abl./Gen.), बहुवचन; ‘बाह्येभ्यः (कर्मभ्यः)’—external (rites)

• अर्च्य: having worshipped
• अर्च्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), ‘अर्च्य’ = having worshipped

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अन्तर्यागरतः: engaged in inner worship
• अन्तर्यागरतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्-याग-रत (प्रातिपदिक; components: अन्तर् + याग + रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), एकवचन; ‘रत’ = engaged; विशेषण (of implied साधकः)

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches a graded path: begin with devoted, capacity-based ritual duty (karma with bhakti), then mature into antaryāga—inner worship—where the offering becomes the purified mind directed to Śiva, the Pati who liberates the bound soul (paśu) from pāśa.

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

External worship (bāhya-arcana) includes Linga-pūjā and formal rites to Saguna Śiva; the verse then points beyond mere externals to internalization—recognizing Śiva as the indwelling Lord and transforming worship into contemplative inner offering.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform outward pūjā and yajña according to means, then shift to inner practice: japa (especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), dhyāna, and antaryāga—mentally offering breath, senses, and thoughts into Śiva with steady devotion.