Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

तथा मृत्युंजयो जाप्यः कामनाफलरूपतः । पंचलक्षा जपा यर्हि प्रत्यक्षं तु भवेच्छिवः

Transliteration

tathā mṛtyuṃjayo jāpyaḥ kāmanāphalarūpataḥ | paṃcalakṣā japā yarhi pratyakṣaṃ tu bhavecchivaḥ

Translation

«De même, il convient de réciter en japa le mantra Mṛtyuñjaya, car il confère le fruit des vœux chéris. Lorsque cinq cent mille répétitions sont accomplies, Śiva se manifeste alors directement au dévot.»

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मृत्युञ्जयः: Mṛtyuñjaya (Śiva as conqueror of death)
• मृत्युञ्जयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular); ‘मृत्युं जयति’ इति (conqueror of death)

• जाप्यः: to be recited
• जाप्यः: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘जपनीयः’ (to be recited)

• कामना-फल-रूपतः: as (granting) the fruit of desires
• कामना-फल-रूपतः: Hetu/Prayojana (हेतु/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कामना (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास + तसिल् (तस्) प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; अर्थः—‘कामनाफलरूपेण’ (in the form of desired results)

• पञ्च-लक्षाः: five lakhs (of recitations)
• पञ्च-लक्षाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (plural); द्विगु-समास (numeral compound)

• जपाः: recitations
• जपाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• यर्हि: when
• यर्हि: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यर्हि (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal indeclinable)

• प्रत्यक्षम्: manifestly; directly
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणवत् नपुंसक-एकवचन-रूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• भवेत्: would become / would occur
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya within the Rudra Saṃhitā framework)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: The verse frames mantra-japa itself as a direct means to Śiva-sākṣātkāra (perceptible manifestation), implying that inner pilgrimage through disciplined repetition can culminate in darśana and grace.

Mantra Metadata

Type: mahamrityunjaya

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mṛtyuñjaya (Mantra)

FAQs

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

It teaches that sustained mantra-japa is not merely symbolic: disciplined repetition of the Mṛtyuñjaya mantra ripens the devotee’s karma and devotion so that Śiva’s grace becomes experientially evident—culminating, after a stated completion (five lakhs), in direct divine manifestation.

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

The verse emphasizes Saguna upāsanā—approaching Śiva through name and mantra. In practice, Mṛtyuñjaya japa is commonly performed before a Śiva-liṅga, where the mantra becomes a living channel for Śiva’s presence and grace (śaktipāta) to be ‘seen’ as pratyakṣa-anubhava.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It explicitly recommends Mṛtyuñjaya mantra japa with a defined purascarana-style target of 500,000 repetitions, undertaken with steadiness (niyama), devotion (bhakti), and a clear intention (saṅkalpa) for desired fruits and ultimately Śiva’s direct grace.