Shloka 17

Devīkṛta-praśna-varṇana (Description of the Goddess’s Questions) / देवीकृतप्रश्नवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

ततः सुमालिनीमुख्यैर्दैव्याः प्रियसखीजनैः । समाहृतैः प्रफुल्लैस्तैः पुष्पैः कल्पतरूद्भवैः

Transliteration

tataḥ sumālinīmukhyairdaivyāḥ priyasakhījanaiḥ | samāhṛtaiḥ praphullaistaiḥ puṣpaiḥ kalpatarūdbhavaiḥ

Translation

Alors, les chères compagnes divines—Sumālinī en tête—rassemblèrent ces fleurs pleinement épanouies, nées des arbres célestes Kalpataru qui exaucent les vœux, afin de les offrir avec révérence.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• sumālinī-mukhyaiḥ: by those headed by Sumālinī
• sumālinī-mukhyaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sumālinī (सुमालिनी प्रातिपदिक) + mukhya (मुख्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः—‘सुमालिनीमुख्याः’ = headed by Sumālinī); पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• daivyāḥ: divine
• daivyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daivī (दैवी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (nom. pl. fem.), विशेषणम् (प्रियसखीजनैः इत्यस्य)

• priya-sakhī-janaiḥ: by the group of dear female friends
• priya-sakhī-janaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रिय प्रातिपदिक) + sakhī (सखी प्रातिपदिक) + jana (जन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• sam-āhṛtaiḥ: collected
• sam-āhṛtaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-hṛ (सम्+आ+हृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), ‘समाहृत’ = collected/brought; तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• praphullaiḥ: fully blossomed
• praphullaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praphulla (प्रफुल्ल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.), विशेषणम् (पुष्पैः)

• taiḥ: with those
• taiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (पुष्प प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• kalpa-taru-udbhavaiḥ: arisen from the Kalpa-tree
• kalpa-taru-udbhavaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalpa (कल्प प्रातिपदिक) + taru (तरु प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (उद्भव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः—‘कल्पतरूद्भव’ = born from the wish-fulfilling tree); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचन (instr. pl.), विशेषणम् (पुष्पैः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Sumalini
• divine companions
• Kalpataru

FAQs

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

It highlights bhakti expressed through seva: the devas’ companions gather pure, blossomed flowers for worship, showing that loving service and reverent preparation are central to approaching Lord Shiva in a Saguna (worshipful) mode.

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

Flowers gathered from auspicious, celestial sources symbolize sattvic offering (upacāra) used in Linga-pūjā or worship of Shiva’s manifest form; the emphasis is on devotional intention and purity of offering rather than mere material value.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple takeaway is pushpa-archana (offering flowers) with mental purity and devotion—ideally accompanied by japa of the Panchākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” while visualizing the offering as inner surrender.