Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 6

शिवाश्रम-नित्यनैमित्तिककर्मविधिः / Śaiva Āśrama-Duties: Daily and Occasional Rites

Morning Purity & Bath Procedure

Devanagari script

स्नानद्रव्याणि तत्तीरे स्थापयित्वा बहिर्मलम् । व्यापोह्य मृदमालिप्य स्नात्वा गोमयमालिपेत्

Transliteration

snānadravyāṇi tattīre sthāpayitvā bahirmalam | vyāpohya mṛdamālipya snātvā gomayamālipet

Translation

اُس مقدّس پانی کے کنارے غسل کا سامان رکھ کر پہلے بیرونی میل کچیل دور کرے؛ پھر پاک مٹی کا لیپ لگا کر غسل کرے، اور غسل کے بعد طہارت کے لیے گوبر کا لیپ کرے۔

Word by Word

• स्नानद्रव्याणि: bathing materials
• स्नानद्रव्याणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नानद्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) = स्नान + द्रव्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular; used adjectivally)

• तीरे: on the bank/shore
• तीरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• स्थापयित्वा: having placed
• स्थापयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) causative; धातु: स्था, णिच्; (having placed/caused to be placed)

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मलम्: impurity/dirt
• मलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• व्यापोह्य: having removed
• व्यापोह्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपोह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्ग: वि + आ; (having removed)

• मृदम्: clay/earth
• मृदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• आलिप्य: having applied/smeared
• आलिप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); उपसर्ग: आ; (having smeared/applied)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); (having bathed)

• गोमयम्: cow-dung
• गोमयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमय (प्रातिपदिक) = गो + मय
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आलिपेत्: should smear/apply
• आलिपेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: आ (Optative, 3rd person singular, Parasmaipada)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Establishes ritual purity (bāhya-śauca) as a prerequisite for Śiva-pūjā and mantra-japa; reduces doṣa and prepares the paśu for grace-oriented practice.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that approach to Shiva begins with śauca (purity): removing gross impurities and performing disciplined cleansing so the body-mind becomes a suitable support for devotion, mantra, and Shiva’s grace.

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

Before Linga-pūjā, the devotee prepares through ritual purity; such preparatory acts honor Saguna Shiva’s worship-forms while pointing to inner refinement that supports realization of Shiva as the supreme Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A snāna-vidhi: arrange bathing items, cleanse the body, use purifying earth, bathe, then apply a sanctifying substance—serving as a precursor to bhasma/tripuṇḍra application and focused japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya).