Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 52

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

पलद्वययुतेनैव लक्षमुक्तं पुरातनैः । ब्राह्मणाश्च तथा भोज्या रुद्रसंख्याप्रमाणतः

Transliteration

paladvayayutenaiva lakṣamuktaṃ purātanaiḥ | brāhmaṇāśca tathā bhojyā rudrasaṃkhyāpramāṇataḥ

Translation

പുരാതനർ പറഞ്ഞത്: ‘ലക്ഷം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നത് രണ്ട് പലം കൂടി ചേർത്തതായാണ് ഗ്രഹിക്കേണ്ടത്. അതുപോലെ രുദ്ര-സംഖ്യാ പ്രമാണപ്രകാരം ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ഭോജനിപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• pala-dvaya-yutena: with (an addition of) two palas
• pala-dvaya-yutena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pala (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पलद्वयेन युतः/युक्तः)

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

• lakṣam: one lakh (100,000)
• lakṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म/विधेय-नाम (the amount ‘one lakh’)

• uktam: is said/declared
• uktam: Kriya (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; √vac (to say)

• purātanaiḥ: by the ancients
• purātanaiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘by the ancients’

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थे (also/likewise)

• bhojyāḥ: to be fed (as guests)
• bhojyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhojya (प्रातिपदिक; √bhuj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be fed/entertained)

• rudra-saṃkhyā-pramāṇataḥ: according to the measure of Rudra’s number (eleven)
• rudra-saṃkhyā-pramāṇataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक) + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; तत्पुरुष-समास (रुद्रस्य संख्या = 11; तया प्रमाणम्)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic teaching to the sages, within the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Rudra

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

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

It stresses that Shaiva worship is not merely sentiment but disciplined sādhana: counts, measures, and prescribed acts (like feeding Brāhmaṇas) are to be performed as an offering to Rudra, helping purify the worshipper and align action with devotion.

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

The verse supports Saguna-Rudra worship through regulated observances—numerical standards for japa and related offerings—commonly performed before the Linga as a concrete, devotional means to approach Shiva with reverence and order.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to lakṣa-level mantra-japa (often done with the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and the accompanying rite of Brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding Brāhmaṇas) according to a Rudra-prescribed count as part of completion and merit.