Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 53

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

प्रियंगुपूजनादेव धर्माध्यक्षे परात्मनि । धर्मार्थकामा वर्द्धंते पूजा सर्वसुखावहा

Transliteration

priyaṃgupūjanādeva dharmādhyakṣe parātmani | dharmārthakāmā varddhaṃte pūjā sarvasukhāvahā

Translation

En adorant (Śiva) avec des fleurs de priyangu—Lui, le Soi suprême et le gardien du Dharma—le dharma, l’artha et le kāma croissent avec constance ; un tel culte devient dispensateur de toute félicité.

Word by Word

• priyaṃgu-pūjanāt: from the worship of priyaṅgu
• priyaṃgu-pūjanāt: Hetu (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyaṃgu (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक; √pūj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रियंगोः पूजनम्) + पञ्चमी ‘-āt’ (from/by means of)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic)

• dharmādhyakṣe: in/with the overseer of dharma
• dharmādhyakṣe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य अध्यक्षः)

• parātmani: in the Supreme Self
• parātmani: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परः आत्मा)

• dharma-artha-kāmāḥ: dharma, artha, and kāma
• dharma-artha-kāmāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (धर्मश्च अर्थश्च कामश्च)

• vardhante: increase
• vardhante: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; √vṛdh (to increase)

• pūjā: worship
• pūjā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sarva-sukha-āvahā: bringing all happiness
• sarva-sukha-āvahā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; √vah with ā-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयसदृश (सर्वं सुखं आवहति या)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakshinamurti

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere pūjā to Śiva—Pati, the Supreme Self and guardian of cosmic order—purifies intention and aligns worldly aims (artha, kāma) under dharma, yielding wellbeing and inner contentment.

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

The verse supports saguna-upāsanā: offering flowers in pūjā to Śiva as the accessible Lord (often worshipped as the Śiva-liṅga), while recognizing Him as parātman beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform simple Śiva-pūjā with flower offerings (such as priyangu), ideally with mental focus and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” dedicating the act to dharma and purity.