Shloka 22

Śiva-Naivedya-Grāhyatā-Nirṇayaḥ

On the Proper Acceptance and Merit of Śiva’s Consecrated Food-Offering

Devanagari script

महादेवस्वरूपोयं बिल्वो देवैरपि स्तुतिः । यथाकथंचिदेतस्य महिमा ज्ञायते कथम्

Transliteration

mahādevasvarūpoyaṃ bilvo devairapi stutiḥ | yathākathaṃcidetasya mahimā jñāyate katham

Translation

Esta árvore Bilva é, em verdade, da própria natureza de Mahādeva, e é louvada até pelos deuses. Se a sua grandeza é conhecida apenas em parte, como poderia sua glória plena ser realmente compreendida?

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyānta-sūcaka (वाक्यान्तसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; adhikaraṇa—text locus

• vidyeśvara-saṃhitāyām: in the Vidyeśvara-saṃhitā
• vidyeśvara-saṃhitāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyeśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• sādhya-sādhana-khaṇḍe: in the section on means and ends
• sādhya-sādhana-khaṇḍe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhya (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhana (प्रातिपदिक) + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; dvandva of ‘sādhya’ and ‘sādhana’ qualifying ‘khaṇḍa’

• śiva-naivedya-varṇana-nāma: named ‘Description of Śiva’s food-offering’
• śiva-naivedya-varṇana-nāma: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + naivedya (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇana (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of ‘adhyāyaḥ’—“named (nāma) ‘description of Śiva’s naivedya’”

• dvāviṃśaḥ: twenty-second
• dvāviṃśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvāviṃśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; ordinal sense qualifying ‘adhyāyaḥ’

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: In the Viśveśvara teaching stream, bilva is exalted as ‘Mahādeva-svarūpa’—a paradigmatic Śiva-upacāra whose sanctity is beyond full enumeration, even by devas.

Significance: Bilva-offering is held to be exceptionally pleasing to Śiva; it supports purification, merit, and grace-oriented closeness to the Lord.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mahadeva
• Devas

FAQs

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

The verse declares bilva as Śiva-svarūpa (of Śiva’s own nature), teaching that a simple sacred offering can become a direct means of devotion and grace; its greatness is said to be beyond full intellectual measure, emphasizing bhakti over mere conceptual knowing.

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

By identifying bilva with Mahādeva Himself, the Purana frames bilva-offering as a concrete (saguṇa) act of reverence to Śiva—especially in liṅga-pūjā—where tangible substances become vehicles for approaching the transcendent Lord through ritual devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer bilva leaves to the Śiva-liṅga with mantra-japa (commonly the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), cultivating humility: the worshipper focuses on sincere devotion rather than trying to ‘measure’ Śiva’s sacred symbols by reasoning alone.