Shloka 14

Adhyaya 79 — Bhakti-Mahima and Linga-Archana-Vidhi

Condensed Ritual Sequence

Devanagari script

दध्ना च स्नापयेद्रुद्रं शोधयेच्च यथाविधि ततः शुद्धांबुना स्नाप्य चन्दनाद्यैश् च पूजयेत्

Transliteration

dadhnā ca snāpayedrudraṃ śodhayecca yathāvidhi tataḥ śuddhāṃbunā snāpya candanādyaiś ca pūjayet

Translation

يُغسَّل رودرا باللبن الرائب (dadhi) وتُطهَّر العبادة وفق الشعيرة المقرّرة؛ ثم بعد أن يُغسَّل بماءٍ طاهر، يُعبَد بعجينة الصندل وسائر القرابين.

Word by Word

• दध्ना: with curd

• च: and

• स्नापयेत्: one should bathe (perform abhiṣeka)

• रुद्रं: Rudra (Śiva/Śiva-liṅga)

• शोधयेत्: one should purify/cleanse

• च: and

• यथाविधि: according to rule (vidhi)

• ततः: thereafter

• शुद्ध-अम्बुना: with pure water

• स्नाप्य: having bathed

• चन्दन-आद्यैः: with sandalpaste and the like

• च: and

• पूजयेत्: one should worship

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja vidhi to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Rudra)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It lays out a sequential puja-krama: abhiṣeka with curd, ritual purification as per vidhi, then final bathing with pure water and worship with sandal and allied upacāras—showing that śuddhi (purity) is central to liṅga-pūjā.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Rudra is approached as Pati—the supreme Lord who is worshipped through regulated rites; the emphasis on purification points to Shiva-tattva as the purifier of pasha (bondage) and the sanctifier of the pashu (soul) through disciplined devotion.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ablution (abhiṣeka) and śodhana according to vidhi are highlighted; in a Pāśupata lens, the outer cleansing mirrors inner śodhana—purifying intention, senses, and mind before offering upacāras to the Lord.