Shloka 19
ये देवारामपुष्पाणि लोभात्संगृह्य पाणिना । जिघ्रंति च नरा भूयः शिरसा धारयंति च
ye devārāmapuṣpāṇi lobhātsaṃgṛhya pāṇinā | jighraṃti ca narā bhūyaḥ śirasā dhārayaṃti ca
Those men who, out of greed, gather flowers from a divine garden with their hands, then repeatedly smell them and even place them upon their heads, act with possessiveness toward what is meant for worship.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma-saṃhitā teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse functions as a dharma-śikṣā warning: appropriating temple-grove (devārāma) flowers meant for worship becomes a form of “theft of offering,” generating pāśa (bondage) through lobha and misappropriation of dravya meant for Śiva-pūjā.
Significance: Ethic for pilgrims/temple-goers: do not treat nirmālya/ārāma-puṣpa as personal enjoyment; preserve purity of offerings and cultivate non-possessiveness (aparigraha) as a prerequisite for Śiva’s anugraha.
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It warns that offerings meant for the Divine should not be appropriated through greed; devotion (bhakti) is purified when one relinquishes possessiveness and treats sacred items as belonging to Shiva’s worship, not personal enjoyment.
In Saguna worship—especially Linga-puja—flowers are consecrated as upacāras (ritual services). Taking them for personal pleasure (smelling/adorning oneself) undermines the spirit of offering and the discipline that supports reverence toward the Linga.
Practice niyama and aparigraha during puja: collect flowers only as an offering, mentally dedicate them with mantra (e.g., the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and avoid turning sacred materials into objects of sensory indulgence.