Shloka 40

प्रणवार्थपद्धतिवर्णनम्

Methodical Explanation of the Meaning of Praṇava/Om

Devanagari script

विशोध्य वाससा पुष्पं लिंगमूर्द्धनि विन्यसेत् । पीठे लिंगं समारोप्य सूर्याद्यर्चां समाचरेत्

Transliteration

viśodhya vāsasā puṣpaṃ liṃgamūrddhani vinyaset | pīṭhe liṃgaṃ samāropya sūryādyarcāṃ samācaret

Translation

विशोध्य शुचिवाससा पुष्पं लिङ्गमूर्ध्नि विन्यसेत् । ततः पीठे समारोप्य लिङ्गं सूर्याद्यर्चां विधिवत् समाचरेत् ॥

Word by Word

• विशोध्य: having purified
• विशोध्य: Kriyā (पूर्वक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विशुध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle); उपसर्गः: वि-

• वाससा: with a cloth/garment
• वाससा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (singular)

• पुष्पम्: a flower
• पुष्पम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्ग-मूर्धनि: on the top of the liṅga
• लिङ्ग-मूर्धनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य मूर्धनि)

• विन्यसेत्: should place/arrange
• विन्यसेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); उपसर्गः: वि- + नि-

• पीठे: on the pedestal/base
• पीठे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन (singular)

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• समारोप्य: having placed/installed
• समारोप्य: Kriyā (पूर्वक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः: सम् + आ-; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative sense: 'having mounted/placed')

• सूर्य-आदि-अर्चाम्: worship of Sūrya and others
• सूर्य-आदि-अर्चाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यादीनाम् अर्चा)

• समाचरेत्: should perform (properly)
• समाचरेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); उपसर्गः: सम् + आ-

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva worship procedure to the sages at Naimisharanya, as typical of Purana discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Surya

FAQs

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

It teaches that external purity and careful, reverent offering (placing flowers on the liṅga’s crown) supports inner purity; in Shaiva Siddhanta, such disciplined worship matures bhakti and turns the mind toward Śiva as Pati, the liberator of the bound soul (paśu).

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

The liṅga is the accessible, saguna focus for devotion and meditation; installing it on the pīṭha and offering flowers expresses surrender and steadiness, while the accompanying devatā-arcana (Sūrya and others) is performed as part of an ordered Śaiva ritual that culminates in Śiva’s worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical pūjā step is given: cleanse the offering with a clean cloth, place a flower on the liṅga’s top, properly set the liṅga on its pedestal, and then proceed with the prescribed sequence of worship beginning with Sūrya—maintaining purity, order, and one-pointed devotion to Śiva.