Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 71

पूजाविधिः

Pūjā-vidhiḥ) — The Supreme Procedure of Worship (Morning Observances

Devanagari script

कुर्यादारार्तिकं पञ्चवर्तिकामनुसंख्यया । पादयोश्च चतुर्वारं द्विःकृत्वो नाभिमण्डले

Transliteration

kuryādārārtikaṃ pañcavartikāmanusaṃkhyayā | pādayośca caturvāraṃ dviḥkṛtvo nābhimaṇḍale

Translation

Man soll das Ārati mit einer Lampe mit fünf Dochten vollziehen, in der vorgeschriebenen Zahl. Man schwenke sie viermal vor den Füßen des Herrn und zweimal vor dem Kreis des Nabels—so wird Saguna-Śiva nach der Lehre ehrfürchtig Licht dargebracht.

Word by Word

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/संभावना), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आरार्तिकम्: ārātrika (waving of lights)
• आरार्तिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पञ्च-वर्तिकाम्: having five wicks
• पञ्च-वर्तिकाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च वर्तिकाः यस्य/यत्र)

• अनुसंख्यया: according to the prescribed count
• अनुसंख्यया: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुसंख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• पादयोः: at/on the two feet
• पादयोः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) द्विवचन (locative dual)

• च: and
• च: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• चतुः-वारम्: four times
• चतुः-वारम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चतुः (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः, अर्थः—‘चारिवारम्’ (four times)

• द्विः-कृत्वः: twice
• द्विः-कृत्वः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विस्/द्विः (अव्यय) + कृत्वस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (twice)

• नाभि-मण्डले: at the navel region
• नाभि-मण्डले: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नाभेः मण्डले)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Śiva-pūjā procedure to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General nīrājana/ārati prescription: five-wick lamp and counted circumambulation of light over specific limbs, reflecting ordered reverence to the arcā form.

Significance: Encodes ‘saṅkhyā’ (regulated count) as a discipline of attention; ārati becomes a sensory offering that gathers the mind toward Śiva, preparing for dhyāna/japa.

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that devotion must be joined with right method (vidhi): offering light with prescribed counts trains steadiness, reverence, and focused bhakti toward Śiva as the accessible Saguna Lord who accepts worship and grants grace.

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

Ārati is a direct upacāra in liṅga/Śiva worship, treating the Deity as personally present. Waving the lamp to specific ‘limbs’ (feet, navel-region) expresses embodied, Saguna adoration while remembering the inner, all-pervading Pati beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform pañca-varti (five-wick) ārati and wave it four times at the feet and twice at the navel-region, keeping the mind fixed on Śiva—ideally alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to unify ritual and meditation.