Shloka 44

पार्थिवप्रतिमापूजाविधानम्

Pārthiva-pratimā Pūjā-vidhāna — Procedure for Worship of an Earthen Icon

Devanagari script

मार्गशीर्षार्द्रकायां वा षोडशैरुपचारकैः । तत्तन्मूर्तिशिवं पूज्य तस्य वै पाददर्शनम्

Transliteration

mārgaśīrṣārdrakāyāṃ vā ṣoḍaśairupacārakaiḥ | tattanmūrtiśivaṃ pūjya tasya vai pādadarśanam

Translation

Or, on the sacred observance of Ārdrakā in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, one should worship Śiva in that manifested form with the sixteen traditional offerings; thereby, indeed, one attains the auspicious vision of His feet.

Word by Word

• मार्गशीर्षार्द्रकायाम्: in (the time of) Mārgaśīrṣa-Ārdrā
• मार्गशीर्षार्द्रकायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष+आर्द्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मार्गशीर्षे आर्द्रका यस्यां/यत्र = ‘in Mārgaśīrṣa (month) at/with Ārdrā (nakṣatra)’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• षोडशैः: with sixteen
• षोडशैः: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्

• उपचारकैः: with offerings/services (upacāras)
• उपचारकैः: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तत्-तत्: each respective
• तत्-तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (पुनरुक्त-विशेषणम्: ‘that and that / each respective’)

• मूर्ति-शिवम्: Śiva as (that) form/icon
• मूर्ति-शिवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति+शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘Śiva in the form of a mūrti’); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पूज्य: worship (is to be done)
• पूज्य: Kriya (क्रिया/Instruction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (here as instruction: ‘having to be worshipped / worship’)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• पाददर्शनम्: vision of (his) feet
• पाददर्शनम्: Phala (फल/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद+दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of the feet’ + ‘seeing’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (contextually: result/thing obtained)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-worship procedures to the sages at Naimisharanya, as typical for the Vidyeshvara/Viśveśvarasaṃhitā ritual sections)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that disciplined devotional worship (with the full set of traditional offerings) culminates in Shiva’s grace, symbolized as attaining the darśana of His feet—an emblem of refuge, purification, and liberation-oriented bhakti in Shaiva Siddhanta.

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

It emphasizes worship of Shiva in a specific manifested form (saguṇa mūrti), which can include the Linga as the primary ritual focus; through tangible upacharas offered with devotion, the devotee approaches the transcendent Lord via an accessible sacred form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Shiva-pūjā using the ṣoḍaśopacāra (sixteen offerings) on the observance associated with Ārdrakā in Mārgaśīrṣa, keeping the mind fixed on Shiva as Pati (the Lord) and seeking His grace through reverent darśana.