Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 64

अग्निकार्य-होमविधिः

Agnikārya and Homa Procedure

Devanagari script

तत्रासनवरं कृत्वा पुष्पाद्यै गुरुमर्चयेत् । ततोनुपूजयेत्पूज्यान् भोजयेच्च बुभुक्षितान्

Transliteration

tatrāsanavaraṃ kṛtvā puṣpādyai gurumarcayet | tatonupūjayetpūjyān bhojayecca bubhukṣitān

Translation

Dort soll man, nachdem man einen vortrefflichen Sitz bereitet hat, den Guru mit Blumen und anderen Gaben verehren. Danach soll man die Verehrungswürdigen der Reihe nach ehren und auch die Hungrigen speisen.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (there)

• आसन-वरम्: an excellent seat
• आसन-वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; उत्तमम् आसनम् (excellent seat)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having made’

• पुष्प-आद्यैः: with flowers and the like
• पुष्प-आद्यैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; पुष्पादि-द्रव्यैः (with flowers etc.)

• गुरुम्: the guru
• गुरुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Anukrama (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक (thereafter)

• अनु-पूजयेत्: should worship subsequently
• अनु-पूजयेत्: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should worship in sequence/afterwards’

• पूज्यान्: those worthy of worship
• पूज्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त, √पूज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘those worthy of worship’

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु, causative sense ‘to feed’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• बुभुक्षितान्: the hungry (people)
• बुभुक्षितान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुभुक्षित (कृदन्त, √भुज्/√भुक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘hungry persons’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shaiva worship is not only ritual offering but also dharmic conduct: honoring the Guru, respecting the venerable, and practicing compassion through feeding the hungry—acts that purify the pashu (bound soul) and align it toward Pati (Shiva).

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

In Linga/Saguna Shiva worship, proper upacāras include preparing the āsana and offering flowers; this verse adds that true devotion continues beyond the altar—by revering the Guru and serving devotees, which is treated as service to Shiva Himself.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to begin Shaiva pūjā by arranging a clean āsana, offering flowers to the Guru, then performing seva—especially anna-dāna (feeding the hungry). If combined with japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), it becomes a complete bhakti-and-seva discipline.