Shloka 2

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । शौनकाद्याश्च ऋषयः शृणुतादरतोऽखिलम् । कथयाम्यद्य सुप्रीत्या पुष्पार्पणविनिर्णयम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | śaunakādyāśca ṛṣayaḥ śṛṇutādarato'khilam | kathayāmyadya suprītyā puṣpārpaṇavinirṇayam

Translation

Sūta sprach: „O Weise, beginnend mit Śaunaka, hört alles mit Ehrfurcht. Heute werde ich in herzlicher Freude die rechte Bestimmung der Regeln für das Darbringen von Blumen (an den Herrn Śiva) darlegen.“

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शौनक-आद्याः: those beginning with Śaunaka
• शौनक-आद्याः: कर्ता (Karta/Addressed group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शौनकः आदिः येषां ते) — समूहवाचक

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: सम्बोधन-लक्ष्य/श्रोता (Addressee)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शृणुत: listen
• शृणुत: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• आदरात्: with respect / attentively
• आदरात्: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (in sense of cause/manner)

• अखिलम्: all (of it)
• अखिलम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषण

• कथयामि: I narrate / I will tell
• कथयामि: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अद्य: today / now
• अद्य: काल (Kāla/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सुप्रीत्या: with great delight
• सुप्रीत्या: करण (Karaṇa/Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुप्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भावे करणत्वेन (as manner)

• पुष्प-अर्पण-विनिर्णयम्: the determination/rules of offering flowers
• पुष्प-अर्पण-विनिर्णयम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्पण (प्रातिपदिक) + विनिर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पुष्पार्पणस्य विनिर्णयः)

Speaker

Sūta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a specific Jyotirliṅga episode; it introduces a general Śaiva pūjā-prakriyā (puṣpārpaṇa-vinirṇaya) taught for universal application.

Significance: Frames flower-offering as a valid upacāra leading to puṇya and eligibility for Śiva’s grace (anugraha) through disciplined devotion.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Suta
• Shaunaka
• Rishis

FAQs

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

This verse establishes the attitude of śraddhā (reverent attention) and prīti (loving devotion) as the foundation of Śiva-upāsanā; right worship is not mere ritual, but disciplined offering performed with devotion directed to Pati (Lord Śiva) for purification and grace.

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

By announcing the “determination of flower offerings,” Sūta introduces a concrete mode of Saguna worship—honoring Śiva as approachable through forms such as the Liṅga—where external offerings become vehicles for inner bhakti and alignment with dharma.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is attentive, rule-guided pūjā: offer flowers with cleanliness and devotion, ideally alongside mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to unite outer offering with inner remembrance.