Shloka 16

Brahmā–Viṣṇu-Pūjā: Upacāra-Vistāra and Īśvara’s Prasāda

Offerings in Shiva Worship and the Lord’s Grace

Devanagari script

आद्रा र्यां मार्गशीर्षे तु यः पश्येन्मामुमासखम् । मद्बेरमपि वा लिंगं स गुहादपि मे प्रियः

Transliteration

ādrā ryāṃ mārgaśīrṣe tu yaḥ paśyenmāmumāsakham | madberamapi vā liṃgaṃ sa guhādapi me priyaḥ

Translation

In the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, on the sacred occasion of Ārdrā, whoever beholds Me—Śiva, the companion of Umā—or beholds My consecrated image, or even the Liṅga, becomes dear to Me—dearer even than Guha (Kārttikeya) himself.

Word by Word

• आद्रायाम्: in (the nakṣatra) Ārdrā
• आद्रायाम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम

• मार्गशीर्षे: in (the month) Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; मासनाम

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• उमा-सखम्: the friend of Umā (Śiva)
• उमा-सखम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—apposition to माम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा + सख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (उमायाः सखा)

• मत्-बेरम्: my icon/image (bera)
• मत्-बेरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध-प्रातिपदिक) + बेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मम बेरम्)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also)

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (or)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; संकेत (demonstrative)

• गुहात्: than (one in) a cave / from a cave
• गुहात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative—comparison/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even)

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• प्रियः: dear/beloved
• प्रियः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (as taught within the Vidyeshvara Samhita narration, conveyed by Suta Goswami to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati
• Kartikeya

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that simple darśana (devotional beholding) of Śiva—especially in an auspicious sacred time—draws powerful divine grace. In Shaiva Siddhānta terms, this expresses Pati’s compassion: the Lord responds to sincere bhakti and makes the devotee especially dear, helping loosen pāśa (bondage).

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

It explicitly validates both modes of approach: seeing Śiva as Umā’s companion (saguṇa, personal form) and seeing His bera (consecrated image) or Liṅga (the primary Śaiva symbol). The teaching is that the Lord accepts devotion offered through either icon (bera) or Liṅga, and grants closeness to Him.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva-darśana in Mārgaśīrṣa on an auspicious day (Ārdrā), visiting a temple to behold the Liṅga or Śiva-mūrti with devotion; accompany it with simple upacāras and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” as a focused bhakti practice.