Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 31

सतीकृतप्रार्थना तथा परतत्त्वजिज्ञासा — Satī’s Prayer and Inquiry into the Supreme Principle

Devanagari script

मंत्रोच्चारणध्यानाभ्यां मनसा वचसा क्रमात् । यदष्टांगेन भूस्पर्शं तद्वै वंदनमुच्यते

Transliteration

maṃtroccāraṇadhyānābhyāṃ manasā vacasā kramāt | yadaṣṭāṃgena bhūsparśaṃ tadvai vaṃdanamucyate

Translation

若依次第诵持真言并作观想，以心与语相应，继而以八支触地而伏拜，此举确名为“vandana”——恭敬的顶礼。

Word by Word

• मन्त्र: mantra
• मन्त्र: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• उच्चारण: utterance/recitation
• उच्चारण: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्चारण (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग; धातु: चर्/चृ (to move) with उद्+आङ्? (lexicalized ‘to utter’)

• ध्यानाभ्याम्: by (recitation and) meditation
• ध्यानाभ्याम्: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन; करण; (समासे ‘मन्त्र-उच्चारण-ध्यानाभ्याम्’ इति द्वन्द्वार्थ-समाहारः)

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• वचसा: with speech
• वचसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• क्रमात्: in sequence/duly
• क्रमात्: Kriyavishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (ablative used adverbially: ‘in due order’)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• अष्टाङ्गेन: with eight limbs
• अष्टाङ्गेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण; ‘with eight limbs’

• भूस्पर्शम्: touching the ground
• भूस्पर्शम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देश (correlative)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• वन्दनम्: salutation
• वन्दनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्दन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भाववाचक; धातु: वन्द् (to salute)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Defines vandana as embodied surrender: mantra + dhyāna culminating in aṣṭāṅga-namaskāra, training the paśu’s body-speech-mind to align with Pati.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines true vandana as an integrated act of devotion—mantra and meditation joined with bodily humility—showing that worship must unite inner awareness (dhyāna) and outer reverence (aṣṭāṅga praṇāma) for Shiva’s grace.

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

In Linga/Saguna Shiva worship, prostration is not merely physical; it is performed after mantra-recitation and focused contemplation, making the devotee’s mind, speech, and body converge upon the Linga as the living presence of Pati (Shiva).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Recite Shiva-mantra (commonly the Panchākṣarī), steady the mind in dhyāna, then perform aṣṭāṅga namaskāra—touching the earth with eight limbs—as a complete act of vandana.