Shloka 31

गुरुत्व-परम्परा-शौचविधि-प्रश्नः

Questions on Guruhood, Lineage, and Purificatory Discipline

Devanagari script

निवेद्य पायसान्नञ्च तांबूलादि यथा पुरा । नामाष्टकार्चनान्तं च कृत्वा तमभिमन्त्रयेत्

Transliteration

nivedya pāyasānnañca tāṃbūlādi yathā purā | nāmāṣṭakārcanāntaṃ ca kṛtvā tamabhimantrayet

Translation

Having offered pāyasa (sweet rice) and other foods, and then betel and the like as prescribed earlier, and having completed the worship up to the eightfold offering of the Lord’s Names, one should thereafter consecrate it by reciting the appropriate mantra over it.

Word by Word

• निवेद्य: having offered
• निवेद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √विद् (धातु) नि-उपसर्ग
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund) ‘having offered/presented’; English: absolutive

• पायस-अन्नम्: pāyasa and food
• पायस-अन्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस-अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (itaretara): पायस (rice pudding) + अन्न (food/rice); English: neuter accusative singular

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

• ताम्बूल-आदि: betel etc.
• ताम्बूल-आदि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ताम्बूल (betel) + आदि (etc.); English: neuter accusative singular

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान (as, according to)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• नाम-अष्टक-अर्चन-अन्तम्: (ritual) ending with worship of the eight names
• नाम-अष्टक-अर्चन-अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम-अष्टक-अर्चन-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: नाम (name) + अष्टक (set of eight) + अर्चन (worship) + अन्त (ending) = ‘ending with the worship of the eight names’; English: neuter accusative singular

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

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having done’; English: absolutive

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: masculine accusative singular

• अभिमन्त्रयेत्: should recite mantras over (consecrate)
• अभिमन्त्रयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन्त्र् (धातु) अभि-उपसर्ग
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; English: should consecrate/chant over

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

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 devotion becomes spiritually efficacious when offerings (naivedya) are completed with disciplined name-worship and then sanctified through mantra, aligning the worshipper (paśu) with Śiva (Pati) through śakti of sacred sound.

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

The verse reflects Saguna-Śiva worship: tangible offerings like pāyasa and tāmbūla are presented to the Lord, and the rite is sealed by nāma-arcana and mantra—typical of Liṅga-pūjā where material upacāras are spiritualized by japa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer naivedya (especially pāyasa), perform nāmāṣṭaka-arcana (eightfold name-worship), and then do abhimantraṇa—chanting a Śaiva mantra (commonly the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) over the offering before concluding.