Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33

लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः

Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi

Devanagari script

अथ वाऽष्टदलं कृत्वा पूजाद्रव्यं समीपतः । उपविश्य ततस्तत्र उपवेश्य शिवम् प्रभुम्

Transliteration

atha vā'ṣṭadalaṃ kṛtvā pūjādravyaṃ samīpataḥ | upaviśya tatastatra upaveśya śivam prabhum

Translation

Oder man bereite einen achtblättrigen Sitz (Lotus‑Maṇḍala) und lege die Opfergaben in die Nähe; man setze sich dort nieder und installiere dann an eben diesem Ort in ehrfürchtiger Anrufung Śiva, den höchsten Herrn, zur Verehrung.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Anantarya (अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ अव्यय)
• Form: आरम्भ/अनन्तर-अव्यय (then/now)

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (वा अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• aṣṭa-dalam: eight-petalled (lotus/diagram)
• aṣṭa-dalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (अष्ट) + dala (दल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्टौ दलानि यस्य/अष्टदलम्)

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund)

• pūjā-dravyam: materials for worship
• pūjā-dravyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (पूजा) + dravya (द्रव्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पूजायाः द्रव्यम्)

• samīpataḥ: nearby
• samīpataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samīpatas (समीपतस् अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (nearby/at hand)

• upaviśya: having sat down
• upaviśya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa√viś (उप + विश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Anantarya (अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/तस्मात्-अव्यय (thereupon/then)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (तत्र अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• upaveśya: having seated/placed
• upaveśya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa√viś (उप + विश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); causative-sense in usage ‘having seated/placed’ (प्रयोज्यभाव)

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (शिव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prabhum: the Lord
• prabhum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रभु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शिवस्य विशेषणरूपेण

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva-pūjā begins with order, purity, and intentionality—creating a sacred seat and consciously “installing” Śiva, aligning the devotee’s mind to receive grace (anugraha) from Pati, the Lord.

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

The instruction to “seat/ install” Śiva reflects saguna-upāsanā: one invokes the Lord into a worship-focus such as the Śivaliṅga, image, or maṇḍala-seat, treating Him as personally present and worthy of direct offerings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Prepare an aṣṭadala (eight-petalled lotus) maṇḍala/āsana, keep pūjā items ready, sit in a steady posture, and perform āvāhana-upaveśana (invocation and seating) of Śiva—ideally with mantra such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”