Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 58
पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः
Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva
आढकीनां दलैश्चैव रंजयि त्वार्चयेच्छिवम् । नानासुखकरी ह्येषा पूजा सर्वफलप्रदा
āḍhakīnāṃ dalaiścaiva raṃjayi tvārcayecchivam | nānāsukhakarī hyeṣā pūjā sarvaphalapradā
فليُعبَد الربّ شِيفا بعد تزيينه بأوراق الآḍhakī. فهذه الپوجا تُثمر أنواعًا شتّى من السعادة، وتمنح جميع الثمار—لذّات الدنيا، وكذلك الجزاء الروحي الأسمى الذي ينال بالبهكتي للربّ.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s worship methods to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
The verse teaches that simple, sincere offerings—such as specific sacred leaves—become powerful when used with devotion, yielding both worldly well-being and the higher fruit of spiritual uplift through Śiva-bhakti.
It supports Saguna worship by prescribing a concrete offering for pūjā—decorating and offering leaves to Śiva (commonly in Liṅga worship). Such external acts, done with reverence, help steady the mind and direct love toward the Lord’s accessible form.
A practical takeaway is leaf-offering (patra-pūjā): adorn the offering with āḍhakī leaves and worship Śiva with focused devotion—ideally alongside mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”).