Shloka 20

Śiva-Naivedya-Grāhyatā-Nirṇayaḥ

On the Proper Acceptance and Merit of Śiva’s Consecrated Food-Offering

Devanagari script

लिंगोपरि च यद्द्रव्यं तदग्राह्यं मुनीश्वराः । सुपवित्रं च तज्ज्ञेयं यल्लिंगस्पर्शबाह्यतः

Transliteration

liṃgopari ca yaddravyaṃ tadagrāhyaṃ munīśvarāḥ | supavitraṃ ca tajjñeyaṃ yalliṃgasparśabāhyataḥ

Translation

Ô sages éminents, toute substance déposée en offrande sur le Liṅga ne doit pas être reprise. Sachez qu’elle est d’une pureté suprême, car, ayant touché le Liṅga, elle dépasse les notions ordinaires de contact et de souillure.

Word by Word

• लिङ्ग-उपरि: upon the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-उपरि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लिङ्ग + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपरि = स्थानवाचक अव्यय (on/above); लिङ्ग-सम्बन्धे (with reference to the liṅga)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• द्रव्यम्: substance/thing
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्धे (correlative)

• अग्राह्यम्: not acceptable
• अग्राह्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of तत्/द्रव्यम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + ग्राह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनीश्वराः: O lords among sages
• मुनीश्वराः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन—vocative sense though form is nominative plural)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां ईश्वराः)

• सुपवित्रम्: very pure
• सुपवित्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of तत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अत्यन्तं पवित्रम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object of ज्ञेयम्—what is to be known)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ज्ञेयम्: is to be known (as)
• ज्ञेयम्: Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive) -एय (to be known), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• लिङ्ग-स्पर्श-बाह्यतः: outside the liṅga’s touch
• लिङ्ग-स्पर्श-बाह्यतः: Apadana/Desha (अपादान/देश—outside from)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लिङ्ग + स्पर्श + बाह्य + तः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तः-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'from/outside'; तत्पुरुष-आधार (लिङ्गस्पर्शात् बाह्यतः = outside the touch/contact of the liṅga)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: In the Kāśī/Viśveśvara ritual frame, once a substance is offered on the liṅga it becomes Śiva-prasāda and is not ‘reclaimed’ as ordinary property; liṅga-sparśa is treated as transcending mundane purity rules.

Significance: Cultivates niṣkāma-bhāva (non-appropriation) and reverence for prasāda; reinforces that Śiva’s touch sanctifies beyond social notions of contamination.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that offerings placed on the Shiva-Liṅga become sanctified (prasāda) and should not be reclaimed as ordinary property; contact with Shiva elevates the substance beyond common ideas of impurity.

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

In Saguna worship, the Liṅga is the sacred locus of Shiva’s presence; anything offered to it is treated as consecrated, reinforcing reverence, non-appropriation, and the devotional ethic of surrender.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Treat abhiṣeka/naivedya items as Shiva-prasāda—do not ‘take back’ offerings; maintain a mindset of tyāga (offering) while chanting the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) during Liṅga-pūjā.