Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

एतैश्च लक्षसंख्याकैः पूजितश्चेद्भवेच्छिवः । पापहानिस्तथा विप्र लक्ष्मीस्स्यान्नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

etaiśca lakṣasaṃkhyākaiḥ pūjitaścedbhavecchivaḥ | pāpahānistathā vipra lakṣmīssyānnātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

يا أيها البرهمن، إن عُبد شيفا بهذه القرابين بعدد لَكْه (مئة ألف)، زالت الخطايا؛ وتنبثق الرفاهية (لاكشمي) يقينًا—لا شك في ذلك.

Word by Word

• एतैः: by/with these
• एतैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun ‘by/with these’

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

• लक्ष-संख्याकैः: (items) numbering a lakh
• लक्ष-संख्याकैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्ष + संख्या (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्; पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘having the number of a lakh’ (lakṣa-saṃkhyāka)

• पूजितः: worshipped
• पूजितः: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate adjective of शिवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having been worshipped’

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• भवेत्: would be / becomes
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; parasmaipada

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पाप-हानिः: destruction of sins
• पाप-हानिः: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied ‘occurs’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + हानि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘sin-destruction’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीः: prosperity / Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (कर्ता) (of ‘syāt’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be / would arise
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; parasmaipada

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied ‘is’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: A general phalaśruti: large-count offerings (lakṣa-saṅkhyā) yield pāpa-kṣaya and śrī (prosperity).

Significance: Encourages sustained pūjā (repetition and quantity) as a vrata-like discipline; promises purification (pāpa-hāni) and auspicious flourishing (lakṣmī).

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lakṣmī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Lakshmi

FAQs

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

The verse presents a Shaiva principle of sādhana: sustained, high-count devotion to Pati (Śiva) purifies the pashu (individual soul) by burning pāpa and establishing auspiciousness, indicating inner cleansing alongside outer prosperity.

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

A “lakh-count” worship is typically performed through saguna upāsanā—especially Liṅga-pūjā with repeated offerings, abhiṣeka, and mantra—where disciplined repetition focuses the mind and invokes Śiva’s grace for purification.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It implies a one-lakh observance: offering or mantra-japa counted to 100,000—commonly with the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), often supported by rudrākṣa counting, bhasma/tripuṇḍra observance, and daily Śiva-pūjā.