Shloka 80

पार्थिवप्रतिमापूजाविधानम्

Pārthiva-pratimā Pūjā-vidhāna — Procedure for Worship of an Earthen Icon

Devanagari script

सहस्राणां च षट्त्रिंशज्जन्म नैवेद्यमीरितम् । तावन्नैवेद्यदानं तु महापूर्णं तदुच्यते

Transliteration

sahasrāṇāṃ ca ṣaṭtriṃśajjanma naivedyamīritam | tāvannaivedyadānaṃ tu mahāpūrṇaṃ taducyate

Translation

ശിവനു നൈവേദ്യം അർപ്പിക്കുന്നതിന്റെ ഫലം ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് പുണ്യങ്ങളിൽ മുപ്പത്താറു ജന്മങ്ങളുടെ തുല്യമെന്നു പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാൽ ആ അളവിലെ നൈവേദ്യദാനത്തെ ‘മഹാപൂർണ്ണം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सहस्राणाम्: of thousands
• सहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (सहस्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen./6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• षट्-त्रिंशत्-जन्म: thirty-six births
• षट्-त्रिंशत्-जन्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + triṃśat + janman (षट् + त्रिंशत् + जन्मन्; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (Dvigu: 'thirty-six births'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• नैवेद्यम्: naivedya (food offering)
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya (नैवेद्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• ईरितम्: is declared/said
• ईरितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īr (धातु: ईर्)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (said/declared)

• तावत्: to that extent; so much
• तावत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/पर्यन्तबोधक ('to that extent/so much')

• नैवेद्य-दानम्: the giving of naivedya
• नैवेद्य-दानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya + dāna (नैवेद्य + दान; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (Tatpurusha: 'gift of naivedya'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोध (particle: but/indeed)

• महा-पूर्णम्: greatly complete; very full
• महा-पूर्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + pūrṇa (महा + पूर्ण; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (Karmadharaya: 'great and complete'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु: वच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense: 'is called')

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: The Viśveśvara-saṃhitā’s merit-calculus for naivedya aligns with Kāśī’s portrayal as a kṣetra where even measured acts of worship become vehicles of Śiva’s liberating favor.

Significance: Defines a ‘mahāpūrṇa’ scale of offering, encouraging sustained devotional giving as a means to exhaust karmic bondage and approach liberation.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse elevates naivedya as a concrete act of bhakti that purifies accumulated karma across many births, teaching that sincere, repeated offering to Śiva becomes “mahāpūrṇa”—spiritually fulfilling and merit-complete.

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

Naivedya is a Saguna form of worship offered to Śiva as the accessible Lord in the Liṅga; by serving the visible symbol with devotion, the devotee’s relationship with Pati (Śiva) deepens and becomes a means for inner purification.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer naivedya during Śiva-pūjā—ideally after mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—with a surrendered attitude, treating the act as service (sevā) rather than mere transaction for results.