Shloka 9

आवरणपूजावर्णनम् (Āvaraṇa-pūjā-varṇanam) — Description of Enclosure/Layered Worship

Devanagari script

तद्दक्षिणे नन्दिनञ्च महाकालन्तदुत्तरे । भृंगीशन्दक्षिणद्वारपश्चिमे सम्प्रपूजयेत्

Transliteration

taddakṣiṇe nandinañca mahākālantaduttare | bhṛṃgīśandakṣiṇadvārapaścime samprapūjayet

Translation

To the right of that principal deity one should worship Nandin; to its north, Mahākāla. And on the western side of the southern gateway, one should duly worship Bhṛṅgīśa.

Word by Word

• तत्-दक्षिणे: on its right (side)
• तत्-दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally + locative of direction; 'on its right'

• नन्दिनम्: Nandin
• नन्दिनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-काल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; karmadhāraya: mahā + kāla

• तत्-उत्तरे: on its upper/northern side
• तत्-उत्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; 'on its upper/northern side'

• भृङ्गीशम्: Bhṛṅgīśa
• भृङ्गीशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्गीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• दक्षिणद्वार-पश्चिमे: to the west of the southern gate
• दक्षिणद्वार-पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण-द्वार-पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa chain: dakṣiṇa + dvāra + paścima ('west of the southern gate')

• सम्प्रपूजयेत्: should worship duly
• सम्प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+पूज् (धातु)
• Form: Verb; Dhātu: पूज् (to worship) with prefixes सम्+प्र; Lakāra: विधिलिङ् (optative), Parasmaipada; 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is revered as the Lord of Time who grants liberation; the Ujjayinī liṅga is famed as a jyotirliṅga where Śiva is worshipped as Mahākāla, protector against untimely death and ruler of kāla.

Significance: Darśana of Mahākāla is sought for fearlessness before time/death, removal of obstacles, and deepened vairāgya leading toward mokṣa.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Nandi
• Mahakala
• Bhringi

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva’s worship is made complete by reverently honoring His eternal attendants and guardians—Nandin, Mahākāla, and Bhṛṅgī—recognizing the Lord as Pati (the Supreme) together with His divine retinue that supports the devotee’s path to grace.

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

The verse gives a directional, temple-style sequence around the principal object of worship (the Liṅga/Saguna presence), indicating that proper Liṅga-pūjā includes respectful worship of associated śaiva powers and gaṇas placed in specific locations within the sacred space.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests a circumambulatory pūjā (pradakṣiṇā with offerings) in which the devotee worships the Liṅga and then worships Nandin to the right, Mahākāla to the north, and Bhṛṅgīśa near the southern gateway’s western side—maintaining focused bhakti and orderly ritual attention.