Shloka 22

Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय

Devanagari script

भस्मशायी भवेन्नित्यं भिक्षाचारी जितेन्द्रियः य इच्छेत् परमं स्थानं व्रतं पाशुपतं चरेत्

Transliteration

bhasmaśāyī bhavennityaṃ bhikṣācārī jitendriyaḥ ya icchet paramaṃ sthānaṃ vrataṃ pāśupataṃ caret

Translation

وہ ہمیشہ بھسم پر سوئے، بھکشا پر چلے اور حواس کو مغلوب رکھے۔ جو پرم مقام (شیو-پد) چاہے، وہ پاشوپت ورت کا آچرن کرے۔

Word by Word

• भस्मशायी (bhasmaśāyī): one who reclines on sacred ash

• भवेत् (bhavet): should become/should be

• नित्यम् (nityam): always

• भिक्षाचारी (bhikṣācārī): one who lives by begging/alms

• जितेन्द्रियः (jitendriyaḥ): one who has conquered the senses

• यः (yaḥ): who

• इच्छेत् (icchet): would desire

• परमम् (paramam): supreme

• स्थानम् (sthānam): state/abode/station

• व्रतम् (vratam): vow/observance

• पाशुपतम् (pāśupatam): belonging to Paśupati (Śiva), the Pāśupata discipline

• चरेत् (caret): should practice/undertake.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Pāśupata-vrata teaching within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Paśupati)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It links inner purity and renunciation (bhasma, alms-living, sense-control) with eligibility for the highest fruit of Śiva-upāsanā, presenting the Pāśupata vow as a direct discipline for approaching the supreme state of Paśupati.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is implied as Pati (Paśupati), the supreme station sought by the bound soul (paśu); reaching Him requires loosening pāśa (bondage) through self-mastery and austerity rather than mere external ritual.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The Pāśupata-vrata: ash-observance (bhasma as a mark of dispassion and purification), bhikṣā-based living, and indriya-jaya (sense conquest) as core ascetic-yogic components.