Shloka 23
देवानां प्रीतये पूजापंचधैव प्रकल्पिता । तत्तन्मंत्रजपो होमो दानं चैव तपस्तथा
devānāṃ prītaye pūjāpaṃcadhaiva prakalpitā | tattanmaṃtrajapo homo dānaṃ caiva tapastathā
For the satisfaction of the Devas, worship has indeed been established as fivefold: the repetition (japa) of the appropriate mantras, the offering into the sacred fire (homa), charitable giving (dāna), and austerity (tapas) as well.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: General ritual-theological instruction: devatā-prīti is pursued through a structured fivefold pūjā, aligning household and temple religion with dharma and karmic purification.
Significance: Defines practical modes of worship used at tīrthas and temples—japa, homa, dāna, tapas (and the implied fifth mode as ‘pūjā’ itself/arcana-upacāra), orienting pilgrims toward disciplined devotion.
Role: teaching
Offering: dhupa
FAQs
It presents worship as a disciplined, integrated sādhana—mantra (inner alignment), homa (sacral offering), dāna (purifying generosity), and tapas (self-restraint)—which harmonizes the devotee with divine order and prepares the mind for Shiva-bhakti and liberation.
In the Shiva Purana’s devotional framework, these acts commonly accompany Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-pūjā—where japa supports focused remembrance, homa becomes an offering of one’s actions, and dāna/tapas refine the devotee’s conduct, making worship effective and sattvic.
Regular mantra-japa (such as the Panchākṣarī ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’) combined with simple homa when possible, along with dāna and tapas (like vrata/fasting on auspicious days), is the practical takeaway indicated by this fivefold model.