Shloka 25

Viśvānara-Gṛhapati Upākhyāna — Śivasya Agni-gṛhe Avatāraḥ

The Account of Viśvānara Gṛhapati and Śiva’s Descent into the House of Fire

Devanagari script

सहस्रभोजनाद्यैश्च मुनीन्विप्रान्प्रतर्प्य च । महापूजोपचारैश्च लिंगान्यभ्यर्च्य भक्तितः

Transliteration

sahasrabhojanādyaiśca munīnviprānpratarpya ca | mahāpūjopacāraiśca liṃgānyabhyarcya bhaktitaḥ

Translation

सहस्र भोजनादि देऊन मुनी व ब्राह्मणांना तृप्त करून, नंतर महापूजेच्या उपचारांनी भक्तिभावाने शिवलिंगांची अर्चना करावी।

Word by Word

• सहस्रभोजनाद्यैः: with (gifts like) thousands of meals etc.
• सहस्रभोजनाद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (sahasra-bhojanāni ādayaḥ yeṣām taiḥ) ‘with (means such as) thousand meals etc.’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुनीन्: sages
• मुनीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रतर्प्य: having satisfied
• प्रतर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having satisfied (by feeding/honouring)’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महापूजोपचारैः: with grand worship-services/offerings
• महापूजोपचारैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (mahāyāḥ pūjāyāḥ upacārāḥ)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि- अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having worshipped’

• भक्तितः: devoutly
• भक्तितः: Hetu/Prakara (हेतु/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘out of devotion/devotionally’

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya, inferred from Purāṇic dialogue style in this Saṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General liṅga-arcana instruction; no single Jyotirliṅga specified. The emphasis is on mahā-pūjopacāra and feeding munis/vipras as dharmic support for Śiva’s grace.

Significance: Teaches the paired path of dāna/anna-sevā (service to Śiva’s devotees) and liṅga-pūjā, a classic Śaiva merit-and-grace economy culminating in anugraha.

Mantra Metadata

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It links outer dharma (feeding and honoring sages/brāhmaṇas) with inner bhakti (devotional liṅga-arcana), presenting both as complementary supports for Śiva’s grace and spiritual merit in a Shaiva framework.

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

The liṅga is treated as the accessible, worship-worthy form (saguṇa-upāsanā) through which devotees offer upacāras; devotion (bhakti) is emphasized as the life of the ritual, not mere procedure.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform liṅga-pūjā with full upacāras and cultivate devotion, alongside charitable service such as feeding and honoring holy persons; the verse foregrounds ritual devotion and dharmic hospitality rather than a specific mantra, bhasma, or rudrākṣa practice.