Shloka 21

गजाननपूजा तथा औपासन-होमविधिः

Worship of Gajānana and the Procedure of Aupāsana-Homa

Devanagari script

अतः परं प्रजुहुयाद्विरजाहोममात्मनः । षड्विंशतत्त्वरूपेस्मिन्देहे लीनस्य शुद्धये

Transliteration

ataḥ paraṃ prajuhuyādvirajāhomamātmanaḥ | ṣaḍviṃśatattvarūpesmindehe līnasya śuddhaye

Translation

അതിന് ശേഷം സ്വന്തം ആത്മശുദ്ധിക്കായി വിരജാ-ഹോമം യഥാവിധി ആചരിക്കണം; ഇരുപത്താറ് തത്ത്വങ്ങളാൽ നിർമ്മിതമായ ഈ ദേഹത്തിൽ ലീനനായ ദേഹിയുടെ ശുദ്ധിക്കായി.

Word by Word

• अतः: thereafter/therefore
• अतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; causal/consecutive adverb (‘therefore/then’)

• परम्: next/further
• परम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (accusative used adverbially)

• प्रजुहुयात्: should offer (into fire)
• प्रजुहुयात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√हु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विरजा-होमम्: the Virajā-homa (purificatory offering)
• विरजा-होमम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरजा (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (विरजायाः होमः / विरजा-नामकः होमः)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: सम्बन्ध (Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• षड्विंशति-तत्त्व-रूपे: in the form of the twenty-six principles
• षड्विंशति-तत्त्व-रूपे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षड्विंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘in the form consisting of twenty-six tattvas’)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun qualifying ‘देहे’

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• लीनस्य: of the absorbed (self)
• लीनस्य: सम्बन्ध (Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha/Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ली (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘of one who is absorbed/merged’

• शुद्धये: for purification
• शुद्धये: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; purpose-dative

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s yogic-ritual teaching as preserved in the Kailasa Samhita)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: विरजाहोम (virajā-homa) — आत्मशुद्ध्यर्थम्

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that liberation-oriented purification requires more than external rites: the practitioner must cleanse identification with the body made of tattvas, so the soul (paśu) may turn toward Shiva (Pati) without the bonds (pāśa) of impurity.

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

Virajā-homa supports Saguna Shiva worship by purifying the worshipper’s inner instrument (antaḥkaraṇa) so Linga-upāsanā becomes steady and focused; the rite is meant to mature devotion into clarity that leads toward Shiva’s transcendent reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It directly recommends performing Virajā-homa as a purificatory rite, aligned with tattva-śuddhi—contemplating and offering away attachment to the body’s constituent principles while maintaining Shaiva discipline such as mantra-japa (e.g., Panchakshara) and inner recollection of Shiva.