Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 21

गणेशाभिषेक-वरदान-विधानम् | Gaṇeśa’s Consecration, Boons, and Prescribed Worship

Devanagari script

त्रयो वयं सुरवरा यथापूज्या जगत्त्रये । तथायं गणनाथश्च सकलैः प्रतिपूज्यताम्

Transliteration

trayo vayaṃ suravarā yathāpūjyā jagattraye | tathāyaṃ gaṇanāthaśca sakalaiḥ pratipūjyatām

Translation

„Wir drei — die Vornehmsten unter den Devas — sind in den drei Welten wahrlich verehrungswürdig. Ebenso soll auch dieser Gaṇanātha, der Herr der Gaṇas, von allen gebührend verehrt werden.“

Word by Word

• trayaḥ: three
• trayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्यावाचक), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sura-varāḥ: the best of the gods
• sura-varāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) “best among gods”; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• yathā: as
• yathā: Upamā/Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय), comparative/correlative “as/just as”

• pūjyāḥ: worthy to be worshipped
• pūjyāḥ: Vidheyatā (विधेयता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु) + -ya (प्रत्यय)
• Form: Gerundive/Obligative (कृत्य/यत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); predicative “are to be worshipped”

• jagat-traye: in the three worlds
• jagat-traye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) “in the three worlds”; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tathā: so; likewise
• tathā: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय) “so; in the same way”

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• gaṇa-nāthaḥ: Gaṇanātha (lord of the gaṇas)
• gaṇa-nāthaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) “lord of the gaṇas”; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• sakalaiḥ: by all
• sakalaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); here masculine agreeing with implied “(devaiḥ/जनैः)” = “by all”

• prati-pūjyatām: let (him) be worshipped in return/duly
• prati-pūjyatām: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√pūj (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive-style injunction “let (him) be duly worshipped”

Speaker

Brahmā (speaking on behalf of the leading devas, traditionally with Viṣṇu and Indra)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Ganesha
• Devas
• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Indra

FAQs

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

The verse establishes Gaṇanātha’s universal venerability: even the foremost devas acknowledge that Gaṇeśa deserves worship by all. In a Śaiva Siddhānta lens, honoring Gaṇeśa aligns the devotee with Shiva’s order (gaṇa-dharma) and removes impediments (vighna) that bind the soul (paśu) through limitation and distraction.

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

Gaṇeśa is worshipped as Shiva’s foremost attendant-lord and gatekeeper of auspicious beginnings; thus his pūjā supports and safeguards all Saguna Shiva worship, including Liṅga-arcana. The verse implies a proper devotional sequence: reverence to Gaṇanātha so that the subsequent Shiva-pūjā proceeds without obstruction and with steadiness of mind.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Gaṇeśa pūjā at the start of any vrata, japa, or Liṅga worship—offering water, flowers, and a simple mantra (e.g., “oṃ gaṇeśāya namaḥ”)—then proceed to Shaiva practice such as pañcākṣarī-japa (“oṃ namaḥ śivāya”), with bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa if part of one’s tradition.