Shloka 16

आवरणपूजावर्णनम् (Āvaraṇa-pūjā-varṇanam) — Description of Enclosure/Layered Worship

Devanagari script

शिवः पूर्वे दक्षिणतो हर उत्तरतो मृडः । भवः पश्चिमदिक्पत्रे पूज्या एते यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

śivaḥ pūrve dakṣiṇato hara uttarato mṛḍaḥ | bhavaḥ paścimadikpatre pūjyā ete yathākramam

Translation

ಪೂರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಿವ, ದಕ್ಷಿಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಹರ, ಉತ್ತರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೃಡ; ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ದಿಕ್ಕಿನತ್ತ ಇರುವ ಪತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಭವ—ಇವರನ್ನು ಇದೇ ಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೂಜಿಸಬೇಕು.

Word by Word

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• pūrve: in the east
• pūrve: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) used as direction, Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• dakṣiṇataḥ: to the south
• dakṣiṇataḥ: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Directional adverb (दिग्वाचक अव्यय) ‘from/on the south side’

• haraḥ: Hara
• haraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uttarataḥ: to the north
• uttarataḥ: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uttaratas (अव्यय)
• Form: Directional adverb (दिग्वाचक अव्यय) ‘from/on the north side’

• mṛḍaḥ: Mṛḍa
• mṛḍaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavaḥ: Bhava
• bhavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• paścima-dik-patre: in the western-direction petal
• paścima-dik-patre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक) + dik (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘in the petal (patra) of the western direction’

• pūjyāḥ: to be worshipped
• pūjyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (√pūj; कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); gerundive (तव्यत्/यत्) sense ‘to be worshipped’

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• yathā-kramam: in due order
• yathā-kramam: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound functioning as adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘according to order’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Hara
• Mrida
• Bhava

FAQs

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

It teaches that Saguna worship of Śiva is not random: direction, placement, and sequence train the devotee’s mind toward order (niyama) and reverence, making the puja a disciplined approach to Pati (the Lord) who grants grace and liberation.

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

The verse supports a structured mode of honoring Śiva’s manifest names (Śiva, Hara, Mṛḍa, Bhava) as aspects of the one Lord worshipped in the Linga; the devotee approaches the one Reality through ordered forms and ritual orientation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Follow directional placement during Shiva-puja—mentally or physically assign Śiva’s names to the quarters and worship in the stated sequence; this can be paired with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while offering patra (sacred leaves) and other upacāras.