Shloka 25

Viśvānara-Gṛhapati Upākhyāna — Śivasya Agni-gṛhe Avatāraḥ

The Account of Viśvānara Gṛhapati and Śiva’s Descent into the House of Fire

Devanagari script

सहस्रभोजनाद्यैश्च मुनीन्विप्रान्प्रतर्प्य च । महापूजोपचारैश्च लिंगान्यभ्यर्च्य भक्तितः

Transliteration

sahasrabhojanādyaiśca munīnviprānpratarpya ca | mahāpūjopacāraiśca liṃgānyabhyarcya bhaktitaḥ

Translation

بعد أن أشبع الحكماء والبراهمة بولائم وافرة وما شابهها، ثم عبدَ لِـنْغات شيفا بتفانٍ عبر القرابين العظيمة وخدمات البوجا الرسمية—(نالَ بذلك ثوابًا روحيًا عظيمًا).

Word by Word

• सहस्रभोजनाद्यैः: with (gifts like) thousands of meals etc.
• सहस्रभोजनाद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (sahasra-bhojanāni ādayaḥ yeṣām taiḥ) ‘with (means such as) thousand meals etc.’

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

• मुनीन्: sages
• मुनीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रतर्प्य: having satisfied
• प्रतर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having satisfied (by feeding/honouring)’

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

• महापूजोपचारैः: with grand worship-services/offerings
• महापूजोपचारैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (mahāyāḥ pūjāyāḥ upacārāḥ)

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

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि- अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having worshipped’

• भक्तितः: devoutly
• भक्तितः: Hetu/Prakara (हेतु/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘out of devotion/devotionally’

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya, inferred from Purāṇic dialogue style in this Saṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General liṅga-arcana instruction; no single Jyotirliṅga specified. The emphasis is on mahā-pūjopacāra and feeding munis/vipras as dharmic support for Śiva’s grace.

Significance: Teaches the paired path of dāna/anna-sevā (service to Śiva’s devotees) and liṅga-pūjā, a classic Śaiva merit-and-grace economy culminating in anugraha.

Mantra Metadata

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It links outer dharma (feeding and honoring sages/brāhmaṇas) with inner bhakti (devotional liṅga-arcana), presenting both as complementary supports for Śiva’s grace and spiritual merit in a Shaiva framework.

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

The liṅga is treated as the accessible, worship-worthy form (saguṇa-upāsanā) through which devotees offer upacāras; devotion (bhakti) is emphasized as the life of the ritual, not mere procedure.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform liṅga-pūjā with full upacāras and cultivate devotion, alongside charitable service such as feeding and honoring holy persons; the verse foregrounds ritual devotion and dharmic hospitality rather than a specific mantra, bhasma, or rudrākṣa practice.