Shloka 24

Śivapūjā-stuti: Deva-Ṛṣi-Paramparāyāṃ Śaṃkara-caritasya Prastāvaḥ

Prelude to Śaṃkara’s narrative and the lineage of Śiva-worship

Devanagari script

ध्रुवश्च ऋषभश्चैव भरतो नव योगिनः । तद्भ्रातरः परे चापि शिवपूजनकारकाः

Transliteration

dhruvaśca ṛṣabhaścaiva bharato nava yoginaḥ | tadbhrātaraḥ pare cāpi śivapūjanakārakāḥ

Translation

Dhruva, Rishabha, and Bharata—together with the nine Yogins—and their other brothers as well, all became devoted performers of the worship of Lord Śiva.

Word by Word

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva
• ध्रुवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• ऋषभः: Ṛṣabha
• ऋषभः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (indeed)

• भरतः: Bharata
• भरतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Numeral adjective qualifying योगिनः

• योगिनः: yogins
• योगिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• तत्-भ्रातरः: his brothers
• तत्-भ्रातरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य भ्रातरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• परे: other
• परे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (others) qualifying भ्रातरः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक (also/even)

• शिव-पूजन-कारकाः: performers of Śiva-worship
• शिव-पूजन-कारकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-legend; it is a roll-call of exemplary devotees (Dhruva, Ṛṣabha, Bharata, the nine Yogins) to establish a tradition of Śiva-upāsanā across ascetic and royal archetypes.

Significance: Positions Śiva as the inner guru of yogins and the iṣṭa of kings alike; encourages integrating yoga (antar-yāga) with pūjā (bahir-yāga).

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Dhruva
• Rishabha
• Bharata
• Nine Yogins

FAQs

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

It affirms that both royal exemplars (Dhruva, Rishabha, Bharata) and perfected contemplatives (the nine Yogins) converge in the same Shaiva Siddhanta ideal: devotion expressed as Shiva-puja, which purifies bonds (pāśa) and turns the soul (paśu) toward Shiva (Pati).

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

By praising them as 'performers of Shiva worship,' the verse points to Saguna upāsanā—most characteristically Linga-puja in the Shiva Purana—where form-based worship matures the devotee’s inner discipline and prepares insight into Shiva’s transcendent nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is steady Shiva-puja supported by yogic discipline—daily worship with mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, "Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with customary Shaiva observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrāksha where practiced.