Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 43
पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः
Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva
आदित्यसंख्यया तत्र ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेत्ततः । लक्षपूजा तथा जाता साङ्गश्च मन्त्रपूर्वकम्
ādityasaṃkhyayā tatra brāhmaṇānbhojayettataḥ | lakṣapūjā tathā jātā sāṅgaśca mantrapūrvakam
അതിനുശേഷം ആ പുണ്യവ്രതത്തിൽ ആദിത്യന്മാരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിന് തുല്യമായി ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ഭോജിപ്പിക്കണം. ഇങ്ങനെ മന്ത്രപൂർവമായി, സാംഗമായി, ‘ലക്ഷപൂജ’ യഥാവിധി സമ്പൂർണ്ണമാകുന്നു.
Suta Goswami (narrating the ritual injunctions to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Lakṣa-pūjā is completed not only by repetition but by dharmic completion (aṅgas): feeding brāhmaṇas (here, twelve like the Ādityas) integrates dāna and hospitality, amplifying merit and purifying intent.
Role: nurturing
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It teaches that devotion becomes spiritually effective when worship is both inward (mantra) and outward (service), especially honoring sacred knowledge through feeding Brāhmaṇas; such sāṅga, mantra-guided worship supports purification and Shiva’s grace.
Lakṣa-pūjā implies repeated, disciplined acts of saguna worship—typically centered on Shiva’s icon/Śivaliṅga—performed with prescribed mantra-vidhi, showing that structured ritual repetition is a valid Shaiva path to divine favor.
A mantra-pūrvaka lakṣa-pūjā (large-count worship with mantras) along with brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding Brāhmaṇas), ensuring the rite is sāṅga—complete with its required steps; it pairs japa/puja discipline with charitable service.