Shloka 44

Śivapūjā-stuti: Deva-Ṛṣi-Paramparāyāṃ Śaṃkara-caritasya Prastāvaḥ

Prelude to Śaṃkara’s narrative and the lineage of Śiva-worship

Devanagari script

भरतस्तु महापूजां शिवस्यैव सदाकरोत् । नहुषश्च महा शैवः शिवपूजारतो ह्यभूत्

Transliteration

bharatastu mahāpūjāṃ śivasyaiva sadākarot | nahuṣaśca mahā śaivaḥ śivapūjārato hyabhūt

Translation

ഭരതൻ എപ്പോഴും ശ്രീശിവനു മഹാപൂജ നടത്തി. നഹുഷനും മഹാശൈവഭക്തനായി ശിവപൂജയിൽ സ്ഥിരമായി ലീനനായി.

Word by Word

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (भरत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/but)

• mahā-pūjām: great worship
• mahā-pūjām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा-प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (पूजा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: महती पूजा = ‘great worship’

• śivasya: of Śiva
• śivasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (शिव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/always)

• akarot: performed/did
• akarot: Kriyā (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nahuṣaḥ: Nahuṣa
• nahuṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nahuṣa (नहुष-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/and)

• mahā-śaivaḥ: a great Śaiva devotee
• mahā-śaivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (महा-प्रातिपदिक) + śaiva (शैव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: महान् शैवः = ‘a great Śaiva (devotee of Śiva)’

• śiva-pūjā-rataḥ: engaged in Śiva’s worship
• śiva-pūjā-rataḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (शिव-प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (पूजा-प्रातिपदिक) + rata (रत-प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: शिवपूजायां रतः = ‘engaged in Śiva-worship’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• abhūt: was/became
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Portrays ‘mahāpūjā’ and steadfast worship as the means by which the bound soul (paśu) becomes fit for Śiva’s grace; Paśupati is implied as Lord of souls who responds to sustained devotion.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Bharata
• Nahusha

FAQs

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

It praises niṣṭhā (steadfastness) in Śiva-bhakti: constant, wholehearted worship of Pati (Śiva) is presented as the hallmark of a true Mahāśaiva and a direct purifier of the soul toward grace and liberation.

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

By emphasizing regular pūjā, it aligns with saguna-upāsanā—devotion to Śiva with form, commonly expressed as Liṅga worship in the Shiva Purana—through which the devotee’s mind becomes one-pointed and fit to receive Śiva’s anugraha (grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Daily Śiva-pūjā with mantra-japa (especially Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with simple Śaiva markers like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa, is the practical takeaway: consistent worship over occasional intensity.