Shloka 40

Śiva-Pūjākramaḥ — The Procedural Order of Shiva Worship

Pañcāvaraṇa & Upacāras

Devanagari script

भक्त्या चार्पितसर्वांगो विस्मृत्य स्वकलेवरम् । पपात सन्निधौ भूयो भूयो नत्वा समु त्थितः

Transliteration

bhaktyā cārpitasarvāṃgo vismṛtya svakalevaram | papāta sannidhau bhūyo bhūyo natvā samu tthitaḥ

Translation

With devotion he offered his entire being, forgetting even his own body; again and again he fell down in prostration in that sacred Presence, and again and again, having bowed, he rose up.

Word by Word

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• arpita-sarva-aṅgaḥ: whose whole body was offered/dedicated
• arpita-sarva-aṅgaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arpita (√arp, धातु; PPP) + sarva + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (PPP used adjectivally)

• vismṛtya: having forgotten
• vismṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + vi + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• sva-kalevaram: his own body
• sva-kalevaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + kalevara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• papāta: fell down
• papāta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pat (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• sannidhau: in (their) presence/nearby
• sannidhau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/आवृत्ति-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: again)

• bhūyaḥ: again
• bhūyaḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्ति-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: again)

• natvā: having bowed
• natvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nam (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• samutthitaḥ: rose up
• samutthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + sam-ud + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya within the Kailasha Samhita context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Models the Siddhānta posture of dāsabhāva and śaraṇāgati: repeated praṇāma (namaskāra) and self-offering (ātma-samarpaṇa) that ripens the soul for Śiva’s anugraha.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It depicts bhakti so intense that the ego-sense and body-consciousness recede; repeated prostration symbolizes total surrender of the pashu (individual soul) to Pati (Shiva), loosening the bonds (pāśa) through humility and grace.

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

The phrase “in the Presence” reflects direct, embodied worship—standing before Shiva as Saguna (accessible form), where namaskara and full-bodied reverence become vehicles for inner absorption and receptivity to Shiva’s anugraha (saving grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform repeated namaskara (full prostration) with mental surrender while chanting the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”; in temple or home-puja, combine it with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and rudrāksha as aids to steadiness and devotion.