Shloka 44
Śivapūjā-stuti: Deva-Ṛṣi-Paramparāyāṃ Śaṃkara-caritasya Prastāvaḥ
Prelude to Śaṃkara’s narrative and the lineage of Śiva-worship
भरतस्तु महापूजां शिवस्यैव सदाकरोत् । नहुषश्च महा शैवः शिवपूजारतो ह्यभूत्
bharatastu mahāpūjāṃ śivasyaiva sadākarot | nahuṣaśca mahā śaivaḥ śivapūjārato hyabhūt
Bharata vollzog stets große Verehrung für Śiva. Und auch Nahuṣa—ein großer Śaiva—war standhaft dem Śiva-Kult hingegeben.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Significance: Portrays ‘mahāpūjā’ and steadfast worship as the means by which the bound soul (paśu) becomes fit for Śiva’s grace; Paśupati is implied as Lord of souls who responds to sustained devotion.
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It praises niṣṭhā (steadfastness) in Śiva-bhakti: constant, wholehearted worship of Pati (Śiva) is presented as the hallmark of a true Mahāśaiva and a direct purifier of the soul toward grace and liberation.
By emphasizing regular pūjā, it aligns with saguna-upāsanā—devotion to Śiva with form, commonly expressed as Liṅga worship in the Shiva Purana—through which the devotee’s mind becomes one-pointed and fit to receive Śiva’s anugraha (grace).
Daily Śiva-pūjā with mantra-japa (especially Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with simple Śaiva markers like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa, is the practical takeaway: consistent worship over occasional intensity.