Shloka 9

Śiva-Pūjākramaḥ — The Procedural Order of Shiva Worship

Pañcāvaraṇa & Upacāras

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा पुष्पैरलंकृत्य प्रणवाद्यष्टनामभिः । सचतुर्थौंनमोऽन्तैश्च सुगन्धकुसुमैस्ततः

Transliteration

dattvā puṣpairalaṃkṛtya praṇavādyaṣṭanāmabhiḥ | sacaturthauṃnamo'ntaiśca sugandhakusumaistataḥ

Translation

Then, having offered flowers and adorned the sacred emblem, one should worship with eight names that begin with the Praṇava “Oṃ”. Thereafter, with fragrant blossoms, one should utter each name in the dative (fourth case) and end it with “namaḥ”, as a rite of reverent surrender to Lord Śiva.

Word by Word

• dattvā: having offered
• dattvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), ‘having given/offered’

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka-liṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental), Bahu-vacana

• alaṃkṛtya: having adorned
• alaṃkṛtya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: alaṃ-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having adorned’

• praṇava: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga; (in compound) stem form; ‘Oṃ’

• ādya: beginning with
• ādya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective; (in compound) ‘beginning with’ (आद्य)

• aṣṭa: eight
• aṣṭa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective; (in compound) ‘eight’

• nāmabhiḥ: with names
• nāmabhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka-liṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental), Bahu-vacana

• sa: with
• sa: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; prefix-like particle ‘with’ (स-) used in compounds/phrases

• caturtha: fourth
• caturtha: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ordinal adjective; (in compound) ‘fourth’

• oṃ: Oṃ
• oṃ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: Avyaya; sacred syllable (प्रणव)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; salutatory particle

• antaiḥ: ending with
• antaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti, Bahu-vacana; ‘ending with’ (अन्त) used adjectivally

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• sugandha: fragrant
• sugandha: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective; (in compound) ‘good-fragrant’; Karmadhāraya: suḥ gandhaḥ yasya/tat (सु-गन्ध)

• kusumaiḥ: with blossoms/flowers
• kusumaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka-liṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti, Bahu-vacana

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (ततः) ‘then/thereafter’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ … (aṣṭa-nāmāni) … namaḥ

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva is approached through humble offering and mantra: decorating and offering fragrant flowers becomes an outer sign of inner surrender (bhakti), especially when joined to the Praṇava and “namaḥ,” which expresses self-offering to Pati (the Lord).

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

The verse describes a concrete, Saguna mode of worship—adorning and offering flowers to the sacred form (such as the Liṅga)—while using mantra-structure (Oṃ + name in dative + namaḥ) to focus the mind on Śiva as the indwelling Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform flower-offering (puṣpārcana) with mantra-japa: recite Śiva’s praṇava-led names, each framed as “Oṃ [Name]āya namaḥ” (dative + namaḥ), maintaining reverence and single-pointed attention.