Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 23
पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः
Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva
लक्षेण भजते कश्चिद्द्वितीये जातिसंभवः । तृतीये कामनालाभश्चतुर्थे तं प्रपश्यति
lakṣeṇa bhajate kaściddvitīye jātisaṃbhavaḥ | tṛtīye kāmanālābhaścaturthe taṃ prapaśyati
কেউ এক লক্ষ জপ/পূজায় ভগবান শিবের ভজন করে; দ্বিতীয় স্তরে উত্তম জন্মলাভ হয়; তৃতীয় স্তরে কাম্য ফল সিদ্ধ হয়; আর চতুর্থ স্তরে তিনি স্বয়ং মহাদেবকে প্রত্যক্ষ দর্শন করে।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Significance: Maps a graded sādhanā-krama: increasing japa yields progressively subtler fruits—from worldly uplift (good birth) to iṣṭa-siddhi and finally darśana—mirroring an inner pilgrimage from bhoga to mokṣa.
Type: mahamrityunjaya
FAQs
It presents a graded path of sādhana: sustained devotion first purifies karma (leading to auspicious birth), then grants regulated fulfillment of desires, and finally culminates in Śiva-sākṣātkāra (direct vision), pointing beyond benefits to realization of Pati (Śiva) as the highest goal.
The verse implies disciplined worship—commonly performed as liṅga-pūjā and mantra-japa to Saguna Śiva—where repetition and devotion mature from seeking results to attaining darśana, the living encounter with the Lord worshipped in the liṅga.
A practical takeaway is mantra-japa in counted numbers (e.g., one lakh repetitions of the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), supported by daily liṅga-pūjā, bhasma/tripuṇḍra, and rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness and purity.