Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 33

पञ्चावरणमार्गस्थं योगेश्वरस्तोत्रम्

Pañcāvaraṇa-mārga Stotra to Yogeśvara Śiva

Devanagari script

देवस्य दक्षिणं वक्त्रं देवदेवपदार्चकम् । विद्यापादं समारूढं वह्निमण्डलमध्यगम्

Transliteration

devasya dakṣiṇaṃ vaktraṃ devadevapadārcakam | vidyāpādaṃ samārūḍhaṃ vahnimaṇḍalamadhyagam

Translation

พระพักตร์ทิศใต้ของพระผู้เป็นเจ้า—ผู้บูชาพระบาทแห่งเทพเหนือเทพ—สถิตบนหลักวิทยา และประทับอยู่กลางมณฑลแห่งเพลิง.

Word by Word

• देवस्य: of the god (Śiva)
• देवस्य: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• दक्षिणम्: southern/right
• दक्षिणम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; qualifying वक्त्रम्

• वक्त्रम्: face
• वक्त्रम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; main noun being described

• देवदेवपदार्चकम्: worshipping the feet of the God of gods
• देवदेवपदार्चकम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘worshipper of the feet of the God of gods’; qualifying वक्त्रम्

• विद्यापादम्: the Vidyā-pāda
• विद्यापादम्: कर्म (Karma/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘the Vidyā-pāda (section/quarter of knowledge)’; in apposition to वक्त्रम्

• समारूढम्: mounted, ascended
• समारूढम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+रुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘mounted/ascended’; qualifying वक्त्रम्/विद्यापादम्

• वह्निमण्डलमध्यगम्: situated in the midst of the circle of fire
• वह्निमण्डलमध्यगम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘gone to/abiding in the middle of the fire-orb’; qualifying वक्त्रम्/विद्यापादम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: देवस्य दक्षिणं वक्त्रं देवदेवपदार्चकम् । विद्यापादं समारूढं वह्निमण्डलमध्यगम्

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents a contemplative map of Shiva’s sacred form: the southern face is linked with vidyā (liberating knowledge) and with devotion expressed as worship of the Lord’s feet, indicating that grace and right knowledge together lead the soul (paśu) toward release under Pati (Shiva).

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

Though Shiva is ultimately beyond form (nirguṇa), this verse supports saguna-upāsanā by prescribing a dhyāna-structure—meditating on a specific divine face and locus (within the fire-maṇḍala). Such visualization steadies the mind for Linga worship and channels devotion toward Shiva as the accessible Lord of grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A focused dhyāna: visualize Shiva’s southern face established in a radiant fire-circle, while mentally offering worship at the Lord’s feet; support it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and, if following Shaiva rite, apply tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of inner purification.