Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 17

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

विद्याकामस्तथा यः स्यात्तदर्द्धेनार्चयेच्छिवम् । वाणीकामो भवेद्यो वै घृतेनैवार्चयेच्छिवम्

Transliteration

vidyākāmastathā yaḥ syāttadarddhenārcayecchivam | vāṇīkāmo bhavedyo vai ghṛtenaivārcayecchivam

Translation

Wer nach heiligem Wissen verlangt, soll Śiva mit der Substanz verehren, die tadarddha genannt wird. Und wer Beredsamkeit und Meisterschaft der Rede begehrt, soll Śiva wahrlich mit Ghee (geklärter Butter) verehren.

Word by Word

• vidyā-kāmaḥ: one desiring knowledge
• vidyā-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (उपपद/षष्ठीभाव: विद्यायाः कामः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• syāt: should be/is (in conditional sense)
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tad-ardhena: with half of that (quantity)
• tad-ardhena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: तस्य अर्धम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• arcayet: should worship
• arcayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; देवता-नाम

• vāṇī-kāmaḥ: one desiring eloquence/speech
• vāṇī-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (उपपद/षष्ठीभाव: वाण्याः कामः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhavet: should become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• ghṛtena: with ghee
• ghṛtena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• arcayet: should worship
• arcayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames Śiva as the giver of vidyā and vāṇī-siddhi through upāsanā; emphasizes that worldly attainments are subordinate to right worship and can become supports for dharma.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere desire (for vidyā or vāṇī) should be sanctified through disciplined Śiva-pūjā, where offerings become a focused expression of bhakti and inner refinement under Śiva’s grace.

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

The verse prescribes specific dravya-offerings for arcana (ritual worship), which is characteristic of Saguna Śiva worship—approaching the formless Lord through the accessible form of the Śiva-liṅga and devotional rites.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva-arcana with intention: offer ghee for vāṇī-siddhi (clarity and power of speech) and, for vidyā, offer the prescribed tadarddha substance as stated in this chapter, ideally alongside mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī) and steady devotion.