Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

देवश्चायं महीयान्वै तस्यार्थे पूजनं त्विदम् । गंधचन्दनपुष्पादि किमर्थं प्रतिमां विना

Transliteration

devaścāyaṃ mahīyānvai tasyārthe pūjanaṃ tvidam | gaṃdhacandanapuṣpādi kimarthaṃ pratimāṃ vinā

Translation

إن هذه الألوهة لعظيمةٌ غايةَ العظمة، وهذه العبادة إنما تُقام لأجله. ولكن من دون صورةٍ مقدّسة (pratimā)، فما فائدة الطِّيب، ومعجون الصندل، والزهور، وسائر القرابين؟

Word by Word

• देवः: the deity
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महीयान्: greater/more exalted
• महीयान्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवस्य विशेषणम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चयार्थक/खलु-अर्थक (emphatic particle)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अर्थे: for the purpose/sake
• अर्थे: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/निमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘तस्य अर्थे’ = ‘for his sake/purpose’

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वाक्य-विषय)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गन्धचन्दनपुष्पादि: fragrance, sandal, flowers, etc.
• गन्धचन्दनपुष्पादि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective copulative): ‘गन्धं च चन्दनं च पुष्पं च आदयः’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वाक्य-विषय)

• किमर्थम्: why/for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb) ‘कस्य अर्थः?’ → ‘why/for what purpose’

• प्रतिमाम्: an image/idol
• प्रतिमाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपपद-योगे तृतीया/द्वितीया-अर्थे ‘without’; अत्र द्वितीयान्तेन सह

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a specific Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse frames the pedagogical necessity of a concrete support (pratimā/arcā) for embodied devotees before higher realization matures.

Significance: General tīrtha/temple rationale: external upacāras (gandha, candana, puṣpa) become meaningful when offered to a consecrated locus (arcā/liṅga), training attention and devotion toward Śiva.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights a key Shaiva principle: although Shiva is supremely great, devotional worship (pūjā) becomes practically expressible through a perceivable support (a form), so that love, reverence, and offering can be concretely directed and internalized.

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

It supports saguna-upāsanā (worship with attributes/form) by implying that offerings like gandha, candana, and flowers have ritual meaning when presented to a worship-support such as the Shiva-liṅga or a pratimā—helping the devotee focus mind and devotion while honoring Shiva’s presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Establish a proper worship-support (especially the Shiva-liṅga) and perform pūjā with offerings (gandha, candana, puṣpa) while maintaining inward remembrance—ideally alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to unite external worship with inner meditation.