Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

विभूतिविस्तरप्रश्नः / Inquiry into the Expansion of Śiva’s Vibhūti

Devanagari script

भस्मनोद्धूल्य तं मन्त्रैरग्निरित्यादिभिः क्रमात् । अथ पाशुपतं साक्षाद्व्रतं द्वादशमासिकम्

Transliteration

bhasmanoddhūlya taṃ mantrairagnirityādibhiḥ kramāt | atha pāśupataṃ sākṣādvrataṃ dvādaśamāsikam

Translation

Bấy giờ, người ta xoa lên thân ông tro thiêng (bhasma), vừa tụng theo thứ tự các chân ngôn bắt đầu bằng “Agni…” và những câu tiếp theo. Sau đó, nên thực hành trực tiếp hạnh nguyện Pāśupata—lời thệ nguyện của chính Chúa—trong mười hai tháng.

Word by Word

• bhasmanā: with ash
• bhasmanā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• uddhūlya: having dusted/smeared (with ash)
• uddhūlya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: uddhūlya (कृदन्त; √dhū धू with ud-, absolutive/ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त), expressing prior action

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; pronoun referring to Kṛṣṇa

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• agniḥ: “Agni” (fire)
• agniḥ: Vacana/Quotation (उद्धरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; first word of mantra-quotation

• iti: thus
• iti: Uddhāraṇa (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (उद्धरण-निपात)

• ādibhiḥ: and others (etc.)
• ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; 'etc.' with preceding quoted mantra(s)

• kramāt: in sequence, gradually
• kramāt: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (तसिल्-अर्थे): 'in due order/step by step'

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक निपात)

• pāśupatam: Pāśupata (of Paśupati/Śiva)
• pāśupatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśupata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies 'vratam'

• sākṣāt: directly, in person
• sākṣāt: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• vratam: vow, observance
• vratam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• dvādaśa-māsikam: lasting twelve months
• dvādaśa-māsikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + māsika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; द्विगु: dvādaśa māsāḥ yasya = lasting twelve months; qualifies 'vratam'

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: agnir iti-ādibhiḥ (mantrāḥ)

Type: rudram

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Paśupati

FAQs

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

It teaches that liberation-oriented Shaiva practice begins with consecration through bhasma and mantra, and matures into sustained discipline—the year-long Pāśupata vrata—by which the pashu (bound soul) is oriented toward Paśupati (Śiva) and the cutting of pāśa (bondage).

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

Bhasma and mantra are external supports for Saguna worship—purifying the body-mind and establishing devotion and reverence—so the practitioner can approach Śiva (often worshiped as the Liṅga) with steadiness, purity, and regulated conduct befitting a vrata.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Apply sacred ash (bhasma), traditionally as Tripuṇḍra, while reciting the prescribed mantras in sequence, and then observe the Pāśupata vow continuously for twelve months with disciplined conduct, japa, and Shiva-centered worship.