Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 40

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

पुष्पान्तरे न नियमो यथालाभं निवेदयेत् । अष्टाङ्गमर्घ्यमुत्कृष्टं धूपालेपौ विशेषतः

Transliteration

puṣpāntare na niyamo yathālābhaṃ nivedayet | aṣṭāṅgamarghyamutkṛṣṭaṃ dhūpālepau viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Na oferta de flores não há regra rígida: deve-se apresentar o que estiver disponível. O arghya de oito partes é considerado excelente; e, em especial, o incenso e os unguentos sagrados são muito louvados no culto a Śiva.

Word by Word

• पुष्पान्तरे: in (the matter of) other flowers
• पुष्पान्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प-अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पेषु अन्तरम्/अन्यत्)

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• नियमः: rule/restriction
• नियमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यथा-लाभम्: as available
• यथा-लाभम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्यय (adverb: 'as obtained/according to availability')

• निवेदयेत्: should offer/present
• निवेदयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अष्टाङ्गम्: eightfold (having eight parts)
• अष्टाङ्गम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (अष्टौ अङ्गानि यस्य/यत्र)

• अर्घ्यम्: offering (arghya)
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्कृष्टम्: excellent
• उत्कृष्टम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्-कृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृश्/कृष्-धातुज क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण (excellent)

• धूपालेपौ: incense and unguent
• धूपालेपौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूप-आलेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (धूपः च आलेपः च)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्/तस्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverb: 'especially')

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General instruction on Śiva-pūjā: flexibility in flowers, excellence of aṣṭāṅga-arghya, and special praise of dhūpa and ālepa.

Significance: Encourages inclusive worship (yathālābha) while emphasizing core honor-offerings (arghya) and sensory sanctification (incense, unguents) as means to steady devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva accepts devotion (bhakti) more than rigid formalism: offerings should be made with sincerity, even if they are simply whatever one can obtain, while honoring the Lord with reverence (arghya) and devotional aids like incense and anointing.

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

In Saguna worship of the Śiva-liṅga, external upacāras (services) express inner surrender. This verse emphasizes flexible flower offerings while highlighting standard acts of honoring—especially arghya, incense (dhūpa), and anointing (ālepa)—as meaningful supports for focused devotion to the manifested Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva-pūjā with available flowers, offer an eightfold arghya, and prioritize dhūpa and ālepa as concentrated devotional acts—ideally alongside steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to keep the mind fixed on Śiva.