Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 38

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

तंदुलारोपणे नॄणां लक्ष्मी वृद्धिः प्रजायते । अखण्डितविधौ विप्र सम्यग्भक्त्या शिवोपरि

Transliteration

taṃdulāropaṇe nṝṇāṃ lakṣmī vṛddhiḥ prajāyate | akhaṇḍitavidhau vipra samyagbhaktyā śivopari

Translation

Dengan menabur (mempersembahkan) butir-butir beras, kemakmuran (Lakṣmī) bertambah bagi manusia. Wahai brāhmaṇa, apabila upacara yang ditetapkan dilakukan tanpa terputus, dengan bhakti yang tulus tertuju kepada Dewa Śiva, maka buahnya pasti terbit.

Word by Word

• तण्डुल-आरोपणे: in the sowing/planting of rice-grains
• तण्डुल-आरोपणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तण्डुल (प्रातिपदिक) + आरोपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तण्डुलानाम् आरोपणे’

• नॄणाम्: of men, of people
• नॄणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• लक्ष्मीः: prosperity
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• वृद्धिः: increase, growth
• वृद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; लक्ष्मी-समन्वय (appositional)

• प्रजायते: arises, is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• अखण्डित-विधौ: in an unbroken rite/observance
• अखण्डित-विधौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखण्डित (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘अखण्डितः विधिः’ (unbroken/undamaged rite)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सम्यक्-भक्त्या: with proper devotion
• सम्यक्-भक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव: ‘सम्यक्’ (properly) qualifying ‘भक्त्या’

• शिव-उपरि: upon/with respect to Śiva
• शिव-उपरि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय ‘उपरि’ (postposition/adverb) with noun ‘शिव’ in compound-like usage; अर्थे अधिकरण (locative sense: ‘upon/with regard to Śiva’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General phalaśruti for taṃdula-arpaṇa (rice offering): prosperity increases when the rite is performed continuously and correctly with devotion to Śiva. Not tied to a particular Jyotirliṅga.

Significance: Promises laukika-sampat (prosperity) as a byproduct of steady Śiva-bhakti; underscores akhaṇḍa-vidhi (unbroken observance) as a discipline that stabilizes the worshipper’s mind and conduct.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Lakshmi

FAQs

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

It teaches that material prosperity is a secondary fruit of disciplined, uninterrupted observance, while the deeper Shaiva point is that steady, properly directed bhakti to Pati (Shiva) makes the rite spiritually efficacious.

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

The verse assumes worship performed with vidhi and bhakti toward Shiva as the accessible Saguna focus for devotees; offerings like grains are external supports that steady the mind in reverence to Shiva (often through Linga-puja).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Maintain an akhaṇḍita-vrata (unbroken observance) and perform Shiva-puja with sincere devotion; offerings such as rice-grains can accompany the worship as part of the prescribed vidhi.