Shloka 21

Adhyaya 35 — दधीचि-क्षुप-युद्धम्, भार्गवोपदेशः, मृतसंजीवनी (त्र्यम्बक) मन्त्रः

Devanagari script

पुष्पेषु गन्धवत्सूक्ष्मः सुगन्धिः परमेश्वरः पुष्टिश् च प्रकृतिर्यस्मात् पुरुषस्य द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

puṣpeṣu gandhavatsūkṣmaḥ sugandhiḥ parameśvaraḥ puṣṭiś ca prakṛtiryasmāt puruṣasya dvijottama

Translation

O best of the twice-born, Parameśvara abides in flowers as their subtle fragrance—indeed as the sweet scent itself. And because He is the nourishing power and the very Prakṛti of the Puruṣa, He is the inner essence that sustains embodied beings.

Word by Word

• पुष्पेषु (puṣpeṣu): in flowers

• गन्धवत् (gandhavat): as fragrance/possessing fragrance

• सूक्ष्मः (sūkṣmaḥ): subtle, imperceptible

• सुगन्धिः (sugandhiḥ): sweet fragrance, pleasant scent

• परमेश्वरः (parameśvaraḥ): the Supreme Lord, Pati

• पुष्टिः (puṣṭiḥ): nourishment, thriving power

• च (ca): and

• प्रकृतिः (prakṛtiḥ): primordial nature, material-causal principle (Śakti)

• यस्मात् (yasmāt): because/from whom

• पुरुषस्य (puruṣasya): of the Puruṣa, of the conscious principle (Pashu in bondage when associated with Pāśa)

• द्विजोत्तम (dvijottama): O best of the twice-born (address to a brāhmaṇa/sage)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana; verse framed as instruction to a dvija within the chapter’s discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It teaches that Śiva is not merely approached as an external icon; He is the subtle essence within offerings themselves—like fragrance in flowers—so flower-offering (puṣpārcana) becomes a recognition of the indwelling Pati in the offering.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is described as sūkṣma (subtle) and immanent—present as the very quality that cannot be grasped by sight alone (fragrance). He is also the sustaining power (puṣṭi) and the causal Śakti (prakṛti) that supports the manifested order while remaining the Supreme Lord.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports internalized worship and Pāśupata-style contemplation: while offering flowers, the sādhaka meditates on Śiva as the subtle presence within sensory experience, loosening pāśa (bondage) by shifting attention from object to indwelling Pati.