Shloka 17

Devīkṛta-praśna-varṇana (Description of the Goddess’s Questions) / देवीकृतप्रश्नवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

ततः सुमालिनीमुख्यैर्दैव्याः प्रियसखीजनैः । समाहृतैः प्रफुल्लैस्तैः पुष्पैः कल्पतरूद्भवैः

Transliteration

tataḥ sumālinīmukhyairdaivyāḥ priyasakhījanaiḥ | samāhṛtaiḥ praphullaistaiḥ puṣpaiḥ kalpatarūdbhavaiḥ

Translation

Then the divine beloved companions—chief among them Sumālinī—gathered fully blossomed flowers born of the wish-fulfilling celestial Kalpataru trees, to be offered with reverence.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• sumālinī-mukhyaiḥ: by those headed by Sumālinī
• sumālinī-mukhyaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sumālinī (सुमालिनी प्रातिपदिक) + mukhya (मुख्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः—‘सुमालिनीमुख्याः’ = headed by Sumālinī); पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• daivyāḥ: divine
• daivyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daivī (दैवी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (nom. pl. fem.), विशेषणम् (प्रियसखीजनैः इत्यस्य)

• priya-sakhī-janaiḥ: by the group of dear female friends
• priya-sakhī-janaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रिय प्रातिपदिक) + sakhī (सखी प्रातिपदिक) + jana (जन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• sam-āhṛtaiḥ: collected
• sam-āhṛtaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-hṛ (सम्+आ+हृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), ‘समाहृत’ = collected/brought; तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• praphullaiḥ: fully blossomed
• praphullaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praphulla (प्रफुल्ल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.), विशेषणम् (पुष्पैः)

• taiḥ: with those
• taiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (पुष्प प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• kalpa-taru-udbhavaiḥ: arisen from the Kalpa-tree
• kalpa-taru-udbhavaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalpa (कल्प प्रातिपदिक) + taru (तरु प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (उद्भव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः—‘कल्पतरूद्भव’ = born from the wish-fulfilling tree); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.), विशेषणम् (पुष्पैः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Sumalini
• divine companions
• Kalpataru

FAQs

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

It highlights bhakti expressed through seva: the devas’ companions gather pure, blossomed flowers for worship, showing that loving service and reverent preparation are central to approaching Lord Shiva in a Saguna (worshipful) mode.

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

Flowers gathered from auspicious, celestial sources symbolize sattvic offering (upacāra) used in Linga-pūjā or worship of Shiva’s manifest form; the emphasis is on devotional intention and purity of offering rather than mere material value.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple takeaway is pushpa-archana (offering flowers) with mental purity and devotion—ideally accompanied by japa of the Panchākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” while visualizing the offering as inner surrender.