Shloka 5

Adhyaya 79 — Bhakti-Mahima and Linga-Archana-Vidhi

Condensed Ritual Sequence

Devanagari script

उच्छिष्टः पूजयन्याति पैशाचं तु द्विजाधमः संक्रुद्धो राक्षसं स्थानं प्राप्नुयान् मूढधीर् द्विजाः

Transliteration

ucchiṣṭaḥ pūjayanyāti paiśācaṃ tu dvijādhamaḥ saṃkruddho rākṣasaṃ sthānaṃ prāpnuyān mūḍhadhīr dvijāḥ

Translation

O twice-born ones, a twice-born of the lowest conduct, if he worships while tainted by food-remnants (ucciṣṭa), falls into a piśāca-state. If, with a deluded mind, he worships in anger, he attains a rākṣasa-like station. Thus, O brāhmaṇas, improper disposition and impurity bind the paśu (soul) more tightly to pāśa, rather than leading it toward Pati, Śiva.

Word by Word

• ucchiṣṭaḥ: while polluted by food-remnants/unclean

• pūjayan: worshipping (performing pūjā)

• yāti: goes/attains

• paiśācam: the state/realm of piśācas

• tu: indeed

• dvijādhamaḥ: the lowest among the twice-born

• saṃkruddhaḥ: enraged/filled with anger

• rākṣasam: rākṣasa-like state/realm

• sthānam: station/abode

• prāpnuyāt: would attain

• mūḍha-dhīḥ: of deluded understanding

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas).

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It warns that Linga-pūjā must be done with śauca (purity) and a शांत (peaceful) mind; worship done in ucchiṣṭa-impurity or anger produces binding karmic results rather than Śiva’s grace.

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

Śiva as Pati is approached through inner and outer purification; when the paśu approaches with pāśa-like states (anger, delusion, impurity), the result aligns with those states, not with liberating Śiva-tattva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Śauca and bhāva-śuddhi: maintaining bodily cleanliness and calming anger (krodha) before pūjā—foundational disciplines aligned with Pāśupata-oriented self-purification.