Shloka 28

प्रणवार्थपद्धतिवर्णनम्

Methodical Explanation of the Meaning of Praṇava/Om

Devanagari script

निर्माल्यञ्च समर्प्याऽथ चण्डेशायेशगोचरे । पुनश्च संयतप्राण ऋष्यादिकमथोच्चरेत्

Transliteration

nirmālyañca samarpyā'tha caṇḍeśāyeśagocare | punaśca saṃyataprāṇa ṛṣyādikamathoccaret

Translation

Dann soll man das Nirmālya, die heiligen Überreste, Caṇḍeśa darbringen, der im Bereich des Herrn Īśa weilt. Danach, mit gezügeltem Atem und beherrschten Sinnen, soll man erneut die Vorangaben wie den ṛṣi (Seher) und das Übrige rezitieren.

Word by Word

• निर्माल्यम्: the offered flowers/garland remnants (nirmālya)
• निर्माल्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्माल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• समर्प्य: having offered
• समर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund): ‘having offered’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• चण्डेशाय: to Caṇḍeśa
• चण्डेशाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईश-गोचरे: in the domain of Īśa
• ईश-गोचरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘in the sphere/field (गोचरे) of Īśa (ईश)’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb)

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

• संयत-प्राणः: with controlled breath
• संयत-प्राणः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of implied practitioner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, यम्-धातु) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण—‘one whose breath is restrained’

• ऋषि-आदिकम्: the ṛṣi etc. (ancillary details)
• ऋषि-आदिकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘the ṛṣi etc. (i.e., ṛṣi, chandas, devatā, bīja...)’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• उच्चरेत्: should utter/recite
• उच्चरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Chandesha

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva-worship is completed with humility and order: the sanctified remnants are respectfully entrusted to Caṇḍeśa, and the devotee then steadies prāṇa and mind to re-align with mantra-consciousness—showing that outer ritual and inner discipline must proceed together.

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

In Saguna Linga-puja, offerings and their remnants carry consecrated śakti. Offering nirmālya to Caṇḍeśa acknowledges Shiva’s sacred attendants and the guardianship of proper worship, protecting the integrity (maryādā) of the Linga ritual and its fruits.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to (1) the post-puja act of offering nirmālya to Caṇḍeśa, and (2) controlled-breath recollection followed by reciting mantra identifiers (ṛṣi, chandas, devatā, etc.)—a brief prāṇāyāma and mantra-nyāsa style centering before continuing worship.