Shloka 80

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

त्रिपुंड्रं सजलं भस्म धृत्वा पूजां करोति यः । शिवपूजां फलं सांगं तस्यैव हि सुनिश्चितम्

Transliteration

tripuṃḍraṃ sajalaṃ bhasma dhṛtvā pūjāṃ karoti yaḥ | śivapūjāṃ phalaṃ sāṃgaṃ tasyaiva hi suniścitam

Translation

Whoever performs worship after applying the Tripuṇḍra—sacred ash (bhasma) moistened with water—surely attains the complete, undiminished fruit of Śiva-worship in all its parts.

Word by Word

• त्रिपुण्ड्रम्: the tripuṇḍra
• त्रिपुण्ड्रम्: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + पुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स-जलम्: moistened (with water)
• स-जलम्: कर्म (object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-भाव) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सह/स-समास), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भस्म’ विशेषणम्

• भस्म: sacred ash
• भस्म: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन्/भस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धृत्वा: having worn/applied
• धृत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having worn/applied’

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: क्रिया (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Kartā/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• शिव-पूजाम्: Śiva-worship
• शिव-पूजाम्: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: ‘शिवस्य पूजा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: कर्ता/विषय (predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स-अङ्गम्: complete, with all parts (in full)
• स-अङ्गम्: विशेषण (qualifier of result)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह-भाव) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सह/स-समास: ‘अङ्गैः सह’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ विशेषणम्

• तस्य: of him/for him
• तस्य: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: सम्बन्ध (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात: emphasis/causal ‘indeed/for’)

• सु-निश्चितम्: well-assured, certain
• सु-निश्चितम्: विशेषण (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + निश्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक from नि+√चि/√चित्)
• Form: कर्मधारय (उपपद: ‘सु’ + ‘निश्चित’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ विशेषणम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s worship-principles to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Tripuṇḍra-bhasma is not mere decoration but a Shaiva sādhana-mark that aligns body and mind with Śiva-bhakti; when worship is done with this discipline, the fruit of Śiva-pūjā becomes “sāṅga”—complete and fully effective.

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

Tripuṇḍra-bhasma is a traditional preparatory observance for Saguna Śiva worship, especially Liṅga-pūjā, signaling consecration of the worshipper’s body as fit for approaching the Liṅga and receiving the full grace-bearing result of the rite.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Apply bhasma as Tripuṇḍra (moistened with water) before beginning Śiva-pūjā; then worship with devotion—this verse emphasizes the preparatory observance of bhasma-dhāraṇa as part of the complete Shaiva ritual discipline.