Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 29

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

जपाकुसुमपूजा तु शत्रूणां मृत्युदा स्मृता । रोगोच्चाटनकानीह करवीराणि वै क्रमात्

Transliteration

japākusumapūjā tu śatrūṇāṃ mṛtyudā smṛtā | rogoccāṭanakānīha karavīrāṇi vai kramāt

Translation

ജപാപുഷ്പങ്ങളാൽ ശിവപൂജ ചെയ്യുന്നത് ശത്രുക്കളുടെ നാശം വരുത്തുന്നതായി സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ഇവിടെ ക്രമമായി കരവീര (കനേർ) അർപ്പണം രോഗങ്ങളെ അകറ്റുന്നതായി പറയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• जपा-कुसुम-पूजा: worship with japa-flowers (hibiscus)
• जपा-कुसुम-पूजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जपा (प्रातिपदिक) + कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जपाकुसुमैः पूजा/जपायाः कुसुमपूजा)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• शत्रूणां: of enemies
• शत्रूणां: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• मृत्यु-दाः: giving death
• मृत्यु-दाः: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मृत्युं ददाति इति)

• स्मृता: is said/considered
• स्मृता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is said/considered’

• रोग-उच्चाटनकानि: (things) that remove diseases
• रोग-उच्चाटनकानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्चाटनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (रोगस्य उच्चाटनम् = removal of disease)

• इह: here
• इह: Adverb (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक अव्यय (here/in this context)

• करवीराणि: karavīra flowers (oleander)
• करवीराणि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करवीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थक/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक

• क्रमात्: in sequence/gradually
• क्रमात्: Adverbial (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणप्रयोग (in order/gradually)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Rudra Saṃhitā teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: The phala-śruti emphasizes protection and removal of obstacles (enemies, disease), aligning Śiva-bhakti with kṣema (security) and ārogya (health) as preliminary supports for dharma and mokṣa.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: destructive

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere Śiva-pūjā, even through specific flower-offerings, becomes a means of removing hostile forces and afflictions—symbolizing the Lord’s grace that dissolves impediments on the devotee’s path toward peace and liberation.

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

The verse presumes Saguna worship—offering flowers to Śiva’s liṅga or icon—where tangible offerings express devotion (bhakti) and invoke Śiva’s protective and healing śakti within the discipline of temple/household ritual.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva-pūjā with appropriate flowers (hibiscus, oleander) while maintaining purity and devotion; accompany the offering with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as the inner practice supporting the outer rite.