Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 48

समयाह्वय-संस्कारः — Rite of ‘Samayāhvaya’ and the Preparatory Layout

Maṇḍapa, Vedi, Kuṇḍas, Maṇḍala, Śiva-kumbha

Devanagari script

प्रोक्षणं ताडनं कृत्वा शिशोस्स्वात्मानमात्मनि । शिवात्मकमनुस्मृत्य स्फुरंतं विस्फुलिंगवत्

Transliteration

prokṣaṇaṃ tāḍanaṃ kṛtvā śiśossvātmānamātmani | śivātmakamanusmṛtya sphuraṃtaṃ visphuliṃgavat

Translation

Sau khi thực hiện nghi thức rảy nước thánh và động tác gõ nhẹ theo nghi lễ, hành giả nên đặt tự ngã của đứa trẻ vào trong Đại Ngã của chính mình; rồi, tưởng niệm rằng Đại Ngã ấy mang bản tính Śiva, hãy quán chiếu nó rung động bừng sáng—như tia lửa vọt ra.

Word by Word

• prokṣaṇam: sprinkling (rite)
• prokṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prokṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular)

• tāḍanam: striking/tapping
• tāḍanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāḍana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyā (क्रिया; pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta (absolutive/क्त्वान्त), pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)

• śiśoḥ: of the child
• śiśoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (6th/षष्ठी), Ekavacana (singular)

• sva-ātmānam: one’s own self
• sva-ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (appositional/कर्मधारय: ‘svaḥ ātmā’), Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular)

• ātmani: in the self
• ātmani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (singular)

• śiva-ātmakam: having the nature of Śiva; Śiva-constituted
• śiva-ātmakam: Karma (कर्म; object of anusmṛtya)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (determinative/तत्पुरुष: ‘śivasya ātmā’ → ‘śiva-ātmakam’), Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular)

• anusmṛtya: having recollected/meditated upon
• anusmṛtya: Kriyā (क्रिया; pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta (absolutive/क्त्वान्त), pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)

• sphurantam: pulsating, flashing
• sphurantam: Karma (कर्म; qualifying the remembered entity)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sphur (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-pratyaya present participle (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ), Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular)

• visphuliṅga-vat: like a spark
• visphuliṅga-vat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: visphuliṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (simile adverb/उपमा-अव्यय), taddhita -vat (वत्) used adverbially

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches a Shaiva contemplative rite: after outer purification, one turns inward and remembers the jiva as ultimately belonging to Śiva—awakening a vivid, spark-like intuition of Śiva-consciousness that loosens bondage (pāśa).

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

The ritual actions (sprinkling and tapping) resemble preparatory saṃskāra-style purification found in Saguna worship; the inner step—remembering the Self as Śiva—transforms external worship into internal linga-bhāvanā, where the ‘mark’ (liṅga) is realized within consciousness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Begin with purification (prokṣaṇa), perform a gentle ritual touch (tāḍana), then practice śivātma-anusmṛti—steady recollection that the inner self is oriented to Śiva—visualizing awareness ‘flashing’ like a spark; accompany it with japa such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) if appropriate.