Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 19

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

सामंतानां जये चैव कोटिपूजा प्रशस्यते । राज्ञामयुतसंख्यं च वशीकरणकर्मणि

Transliteration

sāmaṃtānāṃ jaye caiva koṭipūjā praśasyate | rājñāmayutasaṃkhyaṃ ca vaśīkaraṇakarmaṇi

Translation

Pour vaincre les rois vassaux, la Koṭipūjā — l’adoration accomplie au nombre d’un koṭi (un crore) — est louée. Et pour le rite visant à mettre les rois sous son influence (vaśīkaraṇa), une adoration comptée à un ayuta (dix mille) est recommandée.

Word by Word

• sāmantānām: of feudatories/subordinate kings
• sāmantānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• jaye: in victory
• jaye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; विषय/प्रसङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• koṭi-pūjā: a crore-fold worship / worship numbering a crore
• koṭi-pūjā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (संख्यापूर्वक-परिमाण: कोट्या पूजाः/कोटिपूजा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• praśasyate: is praised
• praśasyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+√śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is praised/commended’

• rājñām: of kings
• rājñām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• ayuta-saṃkhyam: (the number) ten-thousand
• ayuta-saṃkhyam: Kriyāphala (क्रियाफल/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayuta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: अयुतस्य संख्या/अयुतसंख्या); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• vaśīkaraṇa-karmaṇi: in the act/rite of subjugation
• vaśīkaraṇa-karmaṇi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaśīkaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: वशीकरणस्य कर्म); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; विषय/प्रसङ्ग

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Treats political power (jaya over sāmaṃtas, vaśīkaraṇa of kings) as a domain where devotion is instrumentalized; Siddhānta reading: such aims remain within pāśa (bondage) unless subordinated to dharma and ultimately to anugraha (liberation).

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights the Purāṇic idea that disciplined, high-count worship (pūjā/japa) produces tangible results; from a Shaiva Siddhānta lens, such results are secondary, while the deeper aim is purification that can be redirected toward devotion to Pati (Shiva) and liberation.

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

Koṭipūjā implies sustained saguna-upāsanā—regular worship of Shiva as the accessible Lord (often through the Liṅga), where repetition, purity, and steadiness intensify the devotee’s focus and the efficacy of the vow.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A counted discipline such as mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) alongside daily Liṅga-pūjā; the verse emphasizes fixed numerical observance (saṅkhyā) and consistency as the core practice.