Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 10
दक्षयज्ञे सत्या अपमानबोधः — Satī Encounters Disrespect at Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
यज्ञो यज्ञविदां श्रेष्ठो यज्ञांगो यज्ञदक्षिणः । यज्ञकर्ता च यश्शंभुस्तं विना च कथं मखः
yajño yajñavidāṃ śreṣṭho yajñāṃgo yajñadakṣiṇaḥ | yajñakartā ca yaśśaṃbhustaṃ vinā ca kathaṃ makhaḥ
ശംഭുവേ യജ്ഞം—യജ്ഞവിദന്മാർക്കിടയിൽ പരമശ്രേഷ്ഠം. അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് യജ്ഞത്തിന്റെ അംശവും യജ്ഞദക്ഷിണയും. അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് യജ്ഞകർത്താവ്; അവനെ കൂടാതെ മഖം (യജ്ഞം) എങ്ങനെ നടക്കും?
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Śiva Purāṇa to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya within the Satī-khaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Type: stotra
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse teaches that all sacrificial merit and ritual efficacy ultimately depend on Śiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord): He is the essence, the means, and the giver of the फल (result). Thus, outer rites become spiritually complete only when offered with Śiva-centered devotion and surrender.
By declaring Śambhu as the very Yajña and its dakṣiṇā, the text affirms Saguna worship—such as Linga-pūjā—as a direct and complete offering. The Linga embodies the Lord who receives the offering and also grants the fruit, making worship superior to merely formal ritualism.
Perform every rite as Śiva-arpaṇa (offering to Śiva): begin with Panchākṣarī japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), worship the Linga with जल/दूर्वा/बिल्व, and conclude with dedicating the act and its merit to Śambhu—turning the external yajña into an inner sacrifice of ego.