Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 77

लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः

Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi

Devanagari script

अघोच्चारणमुच्चार्य नमस्कारं प्रकल्पयेत् । प्रार्थयेच्च पुनस्तत्र सर्वभावसमन्वितः

Transliteration

aghoccāraṇamuccārya namaskāraṃ prakalpayet | prārthayecca punastatra sarvabhāvasamanvitaḥ

Translation

Après avoir prononcé l’invocation d’Aghora, qu’on accomplisse la prosternation. Puis, dans ce même acte de culte, qu’on offre encore la prière, avec tout son être et chaque sentiment sincère.

Word by Word

• agha-uccāraṇam: utterance of ‘agha’ (a syllable/term)
• agha-uccāraṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agha (प्रातिपदिक) + uccāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case, Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (aghasya uccāraṇam)

• uccārya: having uttered
• uccārya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: uccār (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), ‘having uttered’

• namaskāram: salutation
• namaskāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namaskāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• prakalpayet: should perform
• prakalpayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√kḷp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should perform/arrange’

• prārthayet: should pray
• prārthayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√arth (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should pray/request’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘again’

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb) ‘there’

• sarva-bhāva-samanvitaḥ: endowed with all sentiments (full-hearted)
• sarva-bhāva-samanvitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (of the worshipper); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘sarvaiḥ bhāvaiḥ samanvitaḥ’ (endowed with all feelings)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Āghoramūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames Śiva-upāsanā as accessible through mantra, namaskāra, and heartfelt prārthanā—portable ‘inner pilgrimage’ not limited to a single kṣetra.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: अघोच्चारणम् (अघोर-नामोच्चारण/आह्वान)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that mantra and external gestures become spiritually effective when joined with sarvabhāva—total inner devotion—so worship matures into grace-bestowing prayer to Śiva.

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

The verse outlines a practical sequence used in Saguna worship—invocation (Aghora), namaskāra, and heartfelt prayer—commonly performed before the Śiva-liṅga, where form supports concentration and devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Chant the Aghora name/mantra as an invocation, bow in reverence, and then pray again with full attention and feeling—making the rite a focused bhakti practice rather than a mechanical recitation.