Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 30

शिवाश्रम-नित्यनैमित्तिककर्मविधिः / Śaiva Āśrama-Duties: Daily and Occasional Rites

Morning Purity & Bath Procedure

Devanagari script

या दिनांतैश्शिरोवक्त्रहृद्गुह्यचरणान्क्रमात् । ततो मूलेन सर्वांगमालभ्य वसनान्तरम्

Transliteration

yā dināṃtaiśśirovaktrahṛdguhyacaraṇānkramāt | tato mūlena sarvāṃgamālabhya vasanāntaram

Translation

至日暮之时，当依次以圣灰（vibhūti）涂抹于头、面、心、隐秘处与足；继而以根本真言（mūla-mantra）遍触全身而令其清净，随后更换洁新的衣服。

Word by Word

• yā: she who / which (f.)
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); relative pronoun (यत्-शब्द)

• dināntaiḥ: with (the) ends of the days / at day-ends
• dināntaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dinānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन); samāsa: dina+anta (दिन+अन्त) = ‘end of the day’

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• vaktra: face/mouth
• vaktra: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• hṛt: heart
• hṛt: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; stem hṛd/hṛt (हृद्/हृत्)

• guhya: secret part (genitals)
• guhya: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• caraṇān: feet
• caraṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• kramāt: in sequence / step by step
• kramāt: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; adverbial usage ‘in order/stepwise’

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• mūlena: with the root/base
• mūlena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• sarvāṅgam: the whole body
• sarvāṅgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvāṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; samāsa: sarva+aṅga (सर्व+अङ्ग) = ‘whole body’

• ālabhya: having applied/touched
• ālabhya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√labh (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having touched/applied’ from ā-√labh (आलभ्)

• vasana-antaram: another garment/cloth
• vasana-antaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasana + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; samāsa: vasana+antara (वसन+अन्तर) = ‘another garment’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Daily bhasma application at day’s end functions as continual remembrance of Śiva and loosening of pāśa (bondage) through regulated conduct (ācāra) and mantra-saturated embodiment.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (mūla-mantra implied) oṃ namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches daily Shaiva purification: the body is consecrated with bhasma and mantra so the devotee lives as a pashu offered to Pati (Shiva), turning ordinary bodily life into disciplined worship aligned with liberation.

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

Bhasma-dhāraṇa and mantra-nyāsa prepare the devotee as a fit vessel for Saguna Shiva worship—approaching the Linga with inner and outer purity, while remembering that Shiva’s grace alone removes bondage (pāśa).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Evening bhasma application in a prescribed sequence, followed by touching/consecrating the whole body with the mūla-mantra (commonly the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and then wearing clean clothes as part of daily Shaiva observance.