Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 50

श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः

The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva

Devanagari script

मनोमत्प्रवणं चित्तं न मनोमात्रमुच्यते । मन्नामनिरता वाणी वाङ्मता खलु नेतरा । लिंगैर्मच्छासनादिष्टैस्त्रिपुंड्रादिभिरंकितः । ममोपचारनिरतः कायः कायो न चेतरः

Transliteration

manomatpravaṇaṃ cittaṃ na manomātramucyate | mannāmaniratā vāṇī vāṅmatā khalu netarā | liṃgairmacchāsanādiṣṭaistripuṃḍrādibhiraṃkitaḥ | mamopacāranirataḥ kāyaḥ kāyo na cetaraḥ

Translation

心若倾向于我，便不称为“仅仅是心”。言语若唯独安住于我的圣名，方是真正的“言语”；其余皆非。身若依我教命而具诸标志——如三道圣灰纹（Tripuṇḍra）等——并勤于我的仪轨供奉：唯此方为真正的“身”，非他。

Word by Word

• मनोमत्-प्रवणम्: inclined to mere fancy
• मनोमत्-प्रवणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोमत्-प्रवण (प्रातिपदिक; components: मनोमत् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवण (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘inclined to one’s mind/whim’

• चित्तम्: mind
• चित्तम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• मनोमात्रम्: mere mental (only)
• मनोमात्रम्: Karma (कर्म) / predicate complement
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनो-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; components: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘mere mind/only mental’

• उच्यते: is called/said
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• मत्-नाम-निरता: devoted to my name
• मत्-नाम-निरता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्-नाम-निरत (प्रातिपदिक; components: मत् (सर्वनाम) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘devoted to my name’

• वाणी: speech
• वाणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• वाक्-मता: (truly) speech-oriented
• वाक्-मता: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate-adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाक्-मत (प्रातिपदिक; components: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक) + मत (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘having (true) speech/word-minded’

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic/assurance particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• इतरा: other (than that)
• इतरा: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘other (speech)’

• लिङ्गैः: by marks/signs
• लिङ्गैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• मत्-शासन-आदिष्टैः: enjoined by my injunction
• मत्-शासन-आदिष्टैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्-शासन-आदिष्ट (कृदन्त; components: मत् (सर्वनाम) + शासन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदिष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘enjoined by my command’

• त्रिपुण्ड्र-आदिभिः: with tripuṇḍra and the like
• त्रिपुण्ड्र-आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुण्ड्र-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; components: त्रिपुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘with tripuṇḍra etc.’

• अङ्कितः: marked
• अङ्कितः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate-adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्क् (धातु) → अङ्कित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘marked/adorned’

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (genitive singular)

• उपचार-निरतः: engaged in my service
• उपचार-निरतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपचार-निरत (प्रातिपदिक; components: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘engaged in service/attentive worship’

• कायः: body
• कायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कायः: (true) body (i.e., proper bodily conduct)
• कायः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate-noun
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• इतरः: other (than that)
• इतरः: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘other (body)’

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implicit) namaḥ śivāya / mannāma

Type: panchakshara

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga
• Tripundra

FAQs

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

It defines inner and outer authenticity in Shaiva life: the mind becomes truly ‘mind’ when oriented to Pati (Shiva), speech becomes truly ‘speech’ when it rests in Shiva-Nama, and the body becomes truly ‘body’ when it is consecrated through prescribed Shaiva disciplines like Tripundra and worship (upacara).

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

By stressing Shiva’s ‘emblems’ and commanded observances, the verse supports Saguna worship through the Linga and visible Shaiva identifiers (Tripundra), teaching that external marks are meaningful when they express real inner devotion and service to Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular Shiva-Nama japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma marks) as a Shaiva vow, and performing Shiva-upacara (daily worship/service to the Linga) with a mind steadily inclined to Shiva.