Shloka 80

पार्थिवप्रतिमापूजाविधानम्

Pārthiva-pratimā Pūjā-vidhāna — Procedure for Worship of an Earthen Icon

Devanagari script

सहस्राणां च षट्त्रिंशज्जन्म नैवेद्यमीरितम् । तावन्नैवेद्यदानं तु महापूर्णं तदुच्यते

Transliteration

sahasrāṇāṃ ca ṣaṭtriṃśajjanma naivedyamīritam | tāvannaivedyadānaṃ tu mahāpūrṇaṃ taducyate

Translation

وقد أُعلِن أن تقديمَ النَّيْوِدْيَا (naivedya) ــ قربانَ الطعام ــ إلى شِيفا يُثمرُ ثوابًا كثمارِ ستٍّ وثلاثين ولادةً ضمن آلافِ الفضائل. فلذلك يُقال إن بذلَ النَّيْوِدْيَا إلى ذلك الحدّ هو قربانٌ «مهاپورṇa» (mahāpūrṇa)، أي عظيمُ الكمال.

Word by Word

• सहस्राणाम्: of thousands
• सहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (सहस्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen./6th), बहुवचन

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

• षट्-त्रिंशत्-जन्म: thirty-six births
• षट्-त्रिंशत्-जन्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + triṃśat + janman (षट् + त्रिंशत् + जन्मन्; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (Dvigu: 'thirty-six births'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• नैवेद्यम्: naivedya (food offering)
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya (नैवेद्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• ईरितम्: is declared/said
• ईरितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īr (धातु: ईर्)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (said/declared)

• तावत्: to that extent; so much
• तावत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/पर्यन्तबोधक ('to that extent/so much')

• नैवेद्य-दानम्: the giving of naivedya
• नैवेद्य-दानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya + dāna (नैवेद्य + दान; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (Tatpurusha: 'gift of naivedya'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोध (particle: but/indeed)

• महा-पूर्णम्: greatly complete; very full
• महा-पूर्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + pūrṇa (महा + पूर्ण; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (Karmadharaya: 'great and complete'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु: वच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense: 'is called')

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: The Viśveśvara-saṃhitā’s merit-calculus for naivedya aligns with Kāśī’s portrayal as a kṣetra where even measured acts of worship become vehicles of Śiva’s liberating favor.

Significance: Defines a ‘mahāpūrṇa’ scale of offering, encouraging sustained devotional giving as a means to exhaust karmic bondage and approach liberation.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse elevates naivedya as a concrete act of bhakti that purifies accumulated karma across many births, teaching that sincere, repeated offering to Śiva becomes “mahāpūrṇa”—spiritually fulfilling and merit-complete.

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

Naivedya is a Saguna form of worship offered to Śiva as the accessible Lord in the Liṅga; by serving the visible symbol with devotion, the devotee’s relationship with Pati (Śiva) deepens and becomes a means for inner purification.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer naivedya during Śiva-pūjā—ideally after mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—with a surrendered attitude, treating the act as service (sevā) rather than mere transaction for results.