Shloka 16

आवरणपूजावर्णनम् (Āvaraṇa-pūjā-varṇanam) — Description of Enclosure/Layered Worship

Devanagari script

शिवः पूर्वे दक्षिणतो हर उत्तरतो मृडः । भवः पश्चिमदिक्पत्रे पूज्या एते यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

śivaḥ pūrve dakṣiṇato hara uttarato mṛḍaḥ | bhavaḥ paścimadikpatre pūjyā ete yathākramam

Translation

في الشرق شيفا، وفي الجنوب هارا، وفي الشمال مِرْدَ (Mṛḍa)، وعلى الورقة الموضوعة نحو جهة الغرب بَهَفَ (Bhava). هؤلاء يُعبَدون بهذا الترتيب بعينه.

Word by Word

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• pūrve: in the east
• pūrve: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) used as direction, Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• dakṣiṇataḥ: to the south
• dakṣiṇataḥ: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Directional adverb (दिग्वाचक अव्यय) ‘from/on the south side’

• haraḥ: Hara
• haraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uttarataḥ: to the north
• uttarataḥ: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uttaratas (अव्यय)
• Form: Directional adverb (दिग्वाचक अव्यय) ‘from/on the north side’

• mṛḍaḥ: Mṛḍa
• mṛḍaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavaḥ: Bhava
• bhavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• paścima-dik-patre: in the western-direction petal
• paścima-dik-patre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक) + dik (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘in the petal (patra) of the western direction’

• pūjyāḥ: to be worshipped
• pūjyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (√pūj; कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); gerundive (तव्यत्/यत्) sense ‘to be worshipped’

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• yathā-kramam: in due order
• yathā-kramam: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound functioning as adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘according to order’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Hara
• Mrida
• Bhava

FAQs

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

It teaches that Saguna worship of Śiva is not random: direction, placement, and sequence train the devotee’s mind toward order (niyama) and reverence, making the puja a disciplined approach to Pati (the Lord) who grants grace and liberation.

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

The verse supports a structured mode of honoring Śiva’s manifest names (Śiva, Hara, Mṛḍa, Bhava) as aspects of the one Lord worshipped in the Linga; the devotee approaches the one Reality through ordered forms and ritual orientation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Follow directional placement during Shiva-puja—mentally or physically assign Śiva’s names to the quarters and worship in the stated sequence; this can be paired with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while offering patra (sacred leaves) and other upacāras.