Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 52

न्यासत्रैविध्य-भूतशुद्धि-प्रक्रिया

Threefold Nyāsa and the Procedure of Elemental Purification

Devanagari script

ध्यानं ज्ञानं च यस्यास्ति तीर्णस्तेन भवार्णवः । हिंसादिदोषनिर्मुक्तो विशुद्धश्चित्तसाधनः । ध्यानयज्ञः परस्तस्मादपवर्गफलप्रदः । बहिः कर्मकरा यद्वन्नातीव फलभागिनः

Transliteration

dhyānaṃ jñānaṃ ca yasyāsti tīrṇastena bhavārṇavaḥ | hiṃsādidoṣanirmukto viśuddhaścittasādhanaḥ | dhyānayajñaḥ parastasmādapavargaphalapradaḥ | bahiḥ karmakarā yadvannātīva phalabhāginaḥ

Translation

Ai có thiền định và Chân tri thì vượt qua biển cả của hữu sinh (bhava). Thoát khỏi các lỗi như bạo hại, người ấy trở thành khí cụ thanh tịnh để tu sửa và tinh luyện tâm thức. Vì vậy, tế lễ là thiền (dhyāna-yajña) là tối thượng, vì ban quả giải thoát (apavarga). Còn các hành vi nghi lễ bên ngoài chỉ như kẻ hầu; chúng không dự phần nhiều vào quả tối thượng.

Word by Word

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; relative pronoun

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd Person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• tīrṇaḥ: crossed over
• tīrṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √tṝ क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative Singular

• tena: by that/by him
• tena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• bhava-arṇavaḥ: the ocean of worldly existence
• bhava-arṇavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; Karmadhāraya: ‘ocean which is (called) saṃsāra’

• hiṃsā-ādi-doṣa-nirmuktaḥ: freed from faults like violence
• hiṃsā-ādi-doṣa-nirmuktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + nirmukta (प्रातिपदिक; √muc क्त with निर्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; Tatpuruṣa: ‘freed from faults beginning with violence’

• viśuddhaḥ: purified
• viśuddhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśuddha (प्रातिपदिक; √śudh क्त with वि)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• citta-sādhanaḥ: one whose discipline is the mind
• citta-sādhanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; Tatpuruṣa: ‘having mind as the means/discipline’ or ‘one whose practice is of the mind’

• dhyāna-yajñaḥ: the meditation-sacrifice
• dhyāna-yajñaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; Tatpuruṣa: ‘sacrifice in the form of meditation’

• paraḥ: superior
• paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• tasmāt: therefore/than that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Comparison (हेतु/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तस्मात्), ‘therefore/than that’

• apavarga-phala-pradaḥ: granting the fruit of liberation
• apavarga-phala-pradaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apavarga (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक; √dā with pra)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular; Tatpuruṣa: ‘giver of the fruit of liberation’

• bahiḥ: externally
• bahiḥ: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (अव्यय), ‘externally/outwardly’

• karma-karāḥ: ritual performers
• karma-karāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural; Tatpuruṣa: ‘doers of ritual actions’

• yadvat: just as
• yadvat: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative indeclinable (उपमानवाचक अव्यय), ‘just as’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• atīva: very/excessively
• atīva: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: Intensifier adverb (अव्यय), ‘excessively/very’

• phala-bhāginaḥ: partakers of results
• phala-bhāginaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural; Tatpuruṣa: ‘sharers of fruit’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s yogic teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that liberation (apavarga) is attained primarily through inner discipline—meditation united with right knowledge—by which one crosses saṃsāra and becomes purified of defects like violence.

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

It prioritizes inner worship: while external rites to Shiva and the Linga are supportive, the highest offering is the inward ‘dhyāna-yajña’ where the mind is purified and fixed on Shiva as the liberating Lord (Pati).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice sustained dhyāna with jñāna—ethical purification (non-violence and freedom from दोषs), mental refinement, and inward worship of Shiva; external ritual is secondary and should serve meditation.