Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 65

नारदस्य विष्णूपदेशवर्णनम् — Nārada and Viṣṇu: Instruction after Delusion

Devanagari script

आपादमस्तकं सम्यक् भस्मनोद्धूल्य सादरम् । सर्वश्रुतिश्रुतं शैवम्मंत्रञ्जप षडक्षरम्

Transliteration

āpādamastakaṃ samyak bhasmanoddhūlya sādaram | sarvaśrutiśrutaṃ śaivammaṃtrañjapa ṣaḍakṣaram

Translation

پاؤں سے سر تک ادب کے ساتھ بھسم کا درست لیپ کر کے، تمام شروتیوں میں مشہور شَیو چھے اَکشر منتر کا بھکتی سے جپ کرو۔

Word by Word

• आ-पाद-मस्तकम्: from foot to head
• आ-पाद-मस्तकम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय: 'from foot up to head' (entire body)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): 'properly, thoroughly'

• भस्मना: with sacred ash
• भस्मना: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; instrumental of means

• उद्धूल्य: having smeared
• उद्धूल्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + धूल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having smeared/dusted'

• स-आदरम्: respectfully
• स-आदरम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण: 'with respect'

• सर्व-श्रुति-श्रुतम्: heard/attested in all the Vedas
• सर्व-श्रुति-श्रुतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: 'of all śrutis'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'मन्त्रम्' understood)

• शैवम्: Śaiva
• शैवम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of mantra)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जप: chant
• जप: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• षड्-अक्षरम्: six-syllabled
• षड्-अक्षरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षड् (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of mantra)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating Shiva’s ritual teaching to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Codifies a portable daily sādhana for all places (not site-bound): bhasma-dhāraṇa plus ṣaḍakṣara-japa as a Veda-affirmed Śaiva upāya leading toward pāśa-kṣaya and Śiva’s grace.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches a Shaiva sādhana where bhasma (vibhūti) purifies and consecrates the body as Shiva’s domain, and mantra-japa aligns the individual soul (paśu) toward Shiva (Pati), supporting inner purity and liberation-oriented devotion.

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

Bhasma-dhāraṇa and mantra-japa are core outer-and-inner supports of Saguna Shiva worship: the devotee prepares the body as a fit vessel for pūjā and contemplation, then invokes Shiva through the Śaiva mantra—practices commonly paired with Liṅga-arcana.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Apply sacred ash reverently over the body (commonly as Tripuṇḍra and/or bhasma-dhūlana) and perform steady japa of the six-syllabled Śaiva mantra with devotion.