Shloka 21

पार्थिवार्चाविधिः | Pārthivārcā-vidhi

Procedure for the Earthen Liṅga Worship

Devanagari script

घृटं स्नाने खलु घृतं घृतं यावेति मंत्रतः । मधुवाता मधुनक्तं मधुमान्न इति त्र् यृचा

Transliteration

ghṛṭaṃ snāne khalu ghṛtaṃ ghṛtaṃ yāveti maṃtrataḥ | madhuvātā madhunaktaṃ madhumānna iti tr yṛcā

Translation

En verdad, al tiempo del baño debe invocarse ritualmente “ghṛta—ghṛta”, recitando el mantra ‘ghṛtaṃ yāva’; y, con los tres ṛks que comienzan con ‘madhuvātā’, ‘madhunaktam’ y ‘madhumān naḥ’, consagrar el baño. Así, por la dulzura y pureza védicas, el cuerpo queda apto para el culto de Śiva.

Word by Word

• घृतम्: ghee/clarified butter
• घृतम्: Karma/Object (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नाने: in bathing
• स्नाने: Adhikarana/Location (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/assurance)

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma/Object (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma/Object (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याव: yāva (a grain/plant; as read)
• याव: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पाठान्तर/अर्थ: यावक/यव इत्यादि सम्भवम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यादि-निपात (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रतः: according to the mantra
• मन्त्रतः: Hetu/Source (आधार/प्रमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = मन्त्रात्; ‘according to the mantra’

• मधुवाता: honeyed winds
• मधुवाता: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + वात (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मधुना वाताः/मधुवाताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (ऋग्वैदिक-पाठानुसार)

• मधुनक्तम्: honeyed night
• मधुनक्तम्: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + नक्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मधु-नक्तम् = honeyed night); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मधुमान्: honeyed/sweet
• मधुमान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing honey/sweetness)

• नः: our/for us
• नः: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; वैदिके ‘नः’ = ‘our/for us’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative)

• त्रिः: three times
• त्रिः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thrice)

• ऋचा: with a ṛc (Rigvedic verse)
• ऋचा: Karana/Instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच्/ऋचा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-worship procedures to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that outer cleansing (snāna) becomes spiritually effective when sanctified by mantra; purity, sweetness (madhu), and sattva prepare the devotee to approach Śiva—the Pati who grants liberation when worship is done with discipline.

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

Before Linga-pūjā, the body and mind are ritually refined; the mantras function as consecration (saṃskāra), making the devotee fit to offer water, ghee, and other auspicious substances to Saguna Śiva in the Linga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform a mantra-consecrated bath (mantra-snānā): bathe while reciting the ‘ghṛta’ invocation and the three ‘madhu’ ṛks, holding the intention of inner sweetness—calm mind, restrained senses—prior to Shiva-pūjā.