Shloka 18

शिवार्चनविधिः — देवतानां पाशुपतव्रतप्राप्तिः तथा पशुपाशविमोक्षणम् (अध्याय ८०)

Devanagari script

प्रासादशृङ्गेष्वथ पौरनार्यः सहस्रशः पुष्पफलाक्षताद्यैः स्थिताः करैस्तस्य हरेः समन्तात् प्रचिक्षिपुर्मूर्ध्नि यथा भवस्य

Transliteration

prāsādaśṛṅgeṣvatha pauranāryaḥ sahasraśaḥ puṣpaphalākṣatādyaiḥ sthitāḥ karaistasya hareḥ samantāt pracikṣipurmūrdhni yathā bhavasya

Translation

അപ്പോൾ പ്രാസാദങ്ങളുടെ ശിഖരങ്ങളിൽ നഗരസ്ത്രീകൾ ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് നിലകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു; അവരുടെ കൈകളിൽ പുഷ്പം, ഫലം, അക്ഷതം മുതലായവ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അവർ എല്ലാദിക്കിലും നിന്ന് ആ ഹരിയുടെ ശിരസ്സിന് മേൽ, ഭവൻ (ശിവൻ)ന്റെ ശിരസ്സിൽ മംഗളദ്രവ്യങ്ങൾ അർപ്പിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, അവ ചിതറിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• प्रासाद-शृङ्गेषु: on the palace-tops/pinnacles

• अथ: then

• पौर-नार्यः: the women of the city

• सहस्रशः: by the thousands

• पुष्प-फल-अक्षत-आद्यैः: with flowers, fruits, unbroken rice, etc.

• स्थिताः: standing

• करैः: with (their) hands

• तस्य: of him/that

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)

• समन्तात्: from all sides

• प्रचिक्षिपुः: they threw/showered

• मूर्ध्नि: upon the head

• यथा: as/just as

• भवस्य: of Bhava (Śiva).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It normalizes the use of maṅgala-dravya (flowers, fruits, akṣata) as public acts of reverence, and implicitly frames honoring Hari as consistent with the auspicious honor shown to Bhava—supporting the Purāṇic ethos that Śiva-pūjā is marked by such offerings.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By using Bhava as the benchmark for supreme auspicious veneration, the verse implies Śiva’s status as Pati—the Lord worthy of universal honor—while also indicating a Hari-Hara concord where reverence offered to one aligns with reverence due to Śiva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ritualistically, it highlights pūjā-style upacāras using flowers, fruits, and akṣata as auspicious substances; yogically, it gestures to bhakti as a supportive limb for purifying the paśu (soul) from pāśa (bondage) through devotion to Pati.