Shloka 34

आवरणपूजावर्णनम् (Āvaraṇa-pūjā-varṇanam) — Description of Enclosure/Layered Worship

Devanagari script

यो वेदादौ स्वरः प्रोक्त इत्यंतम्परमेश्वरि । पुष्पाञ्जलिन्ततो दत्त्वा त्रिः प्रदक्षिणमाचरेत्

Transliteration

yo vedādau svaraḥ prokta ityaṃtamparameśvari | puṣpāñjalintato dattvā triḥ pradakṣiṇamācaret

Translation

O Parameśvarī, man betrachte den heiligen Urlaut, der am Anfang der Veden verkündet ist; dann, eine Handvoll Blumen darbringend, vollziehe man dreimal die Pradakṣiṇā um Śivas heilige Gegenwart.

Word by Word

• यः: which/that (who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• वेद-आदौ: at the beginning of the Veda
• वेद-आदौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: वेदस्य आदौ = at the beginning of the Veda

• स्वरः: the syllable/sound
• स्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच्/वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र; अर्थः: declared/said

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-sūcaka (वचनसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक (quotative)

• अन्तम्: ending
• अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; अर्थः: end

• परमेश्वरि: O Supreme Goddess/Lady
• परमेश्वरि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: परमा ईश्वरी

• पुष्प-अञ्जलिम्: a handful of flowers
• पुष्प-अञ्जलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: पुष्पाणाम् अञ्जलिः = handful of flowers

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दत्त्वा: having offered
• दत्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अर्थः: having given/offered

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (numeral adverb)

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; अर्थः: circumambulation (keeping right side)

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थः: should perform/practice

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a specific jyotirliṅga episode; the verse universalizes praṇava (Oṃ) as Veda-ādi and frames pradakṣiṇā as a pan-Śaiva temple act.

Significance: Praṇava-contemplation and triḥ-pradakṣiṇā are treated as direct honoring of the supreme Pati; three circumambulations signify total surrender of body-speech-mind.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (praṇava implied) Oṃ

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva-worship begins with inner recollection of the primal Vedic sound (praṇava) and is completed by embodied devotion—offering flowers and performing pradakṣiṇā—uniting jñāna (awareness) and bhakti (reverent action) under Śiva as Pati (the Lord).

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

Pradakṣiṇā and floral offering are classic acts of saguna-upāsanā directed to Śiva’s manifest presence—often the Liṅga—while the remembrance of the Vedic primal sound points to Śiva’s nirguṇa reality. The verse harmonizes both: the formless truth is honored through a tangible rite.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on the praṇava (OM) as the Vedic essence, offer a puṣpāñjali (handful of flowers), and perform three pradakṣiṇās around Śiva (or the Liṅga) as a concise daily worship sequence.