Shloka 21
Śivarātri-vrata Udyāpana-vidhi
Completion Rite for the Śivarātri Observance
अज्ञानाद्यदि वा ज्ञानाज्जपपूजादिकं मया । कृतं तदस्तु कृपया सफलं तव शङ्कर
ajñānādyadi vā jñānājjapapūjādikaṃ mayā | kṛtaṃ tadastu kṛpayā saphalaṃ tava śaṅkara
O Śaṅkara, whether I have performed japa, pūjā, and other acts of worship out of ignorance or with true understanding—by Your compassion, may all that be made fruitful and fulfilled.
A devotee/pilgrim addressing Lord Shiva (as Śaṅkara), as part of Kotirudrasaṃhitā’s Jyotirlinga-centered worship context
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Śiva (Sadāśiva)
Sthala Purana: A kṣamā-and-siddhi prayer attached to japa-pūjā: regardless of whether worship was done with right knowledge or ignorance, Śiva is asked to make it ‘saphala’. This is typical of pilgrimage liturgies at liṅga-kṣetras.
Significance: Encourages accessibility: even imperfectly informed worship can bear fruit when offered to Śiva with sincerity; aligns with the Siddhānta view that bondage (pāśa) is removed by Śiva’s grace, not by mere cognitive mastery.
Mantra: ajñānādyadi vā jñānājjapapūjādikaṃ mayā | kṛtaṃ tadastu kṛpayā saphalaṃ tava śaṅkara
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches śaraṇāgati (surrender): even if one’s worship is imperfect—done with ignorance or partial understanding—Śiva’s anugraha (grace) can make it spiritually effective and lead the devotee toward purification and liberation.
In Jyotirliṅga devotion, the worshipper approaches Saguna Śiva (Śaṅkara) through liṅga-pūjā, japa, and offerings, and prays that the Lord Himself completes the act—turning external ritual into inward transformation by grace.
Regular japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and liṅga-pūjā/abhiṣeka, followed by a closing prayer of humility asking Śiva to make the practice fruitful despite one’s mistakes.