Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पञ्चत्वक्पञ्चपत्रैश्च मृत्तिकाभिश्च पञ्चभिः । मिलितं च सुगन्धेन लेपयेत्तम्मुनीश्वर

Transliteration

pañcatvakpañcapatraiśca mṛttikābhiśca pañcabhiḥ | militaṃ ca sugandhena lepayettammunīśvara

Translation

O lord among sages, one should anoint that sacred emblem—the liṅga of Śiva—with a mixture of five kinds of bark, five kinds of leaves, and five kinds of clay, blended together and perfumed with fragrance.

Word by Word

• पञ्च-त्वक्: with five barks/skins
• पञ्च-त्वक्: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + त्वक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (समाहार/साधनभावे); द्विगुसमासः—‘पञ्च त्वचः’

• पञ्च-पत्रैः: with five leaves
• पञ्च-पत्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमासः—‘पञ्च पत्राणि’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• मृत्तिकाभिः: with clays/earths
• मृत्तिकाभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• पञ्चभिः: (being) five
• पञ्चभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘मृत्तिकाभिः’ इति विशेषणम्

• मिलितम्: mixed
• मिलितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिल् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘mixed/combined’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• सुगन्धेन: with fragrance/perfume
• सुगन्धेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतुभाव

• लेपयेत्: should smear/anoint
• लेपयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु) [लेपने]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) भावः—‘लेपयति’

• तम्: that (it/him)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनीश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनीश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘मुनीनां ईश्वरः’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

The verse emphasizes upacāra (devotional service) offered to Pati (Śiva) through a pure, sattvic anointing; the carefully prepared mixture symbolizes disciplined devotion that helps the bound soul (paśu) loosen the bonds (pāśa) through reverent worship.

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

It describes a concrete, saguna mode of worship—treating the Śiva-liṅga as the accessible form of the transcendent Lord—where fragrant lepa becomes a bodily act of bhakti that supports inner contemplation of Śiva’s nirguna reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Prepare a fragrant anointing paste from five barks, five leaves, and five clays, then apply it to the Śiva-liṅga as part of pūjā; this can be paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) during the offering.