Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रासादशृङ्गेष्वथ पौरनार्यः सहस्रशः पुष्पफलाक्षताद्यैः स्थिताः करैस्तस्य हरेः समन्तात् प्रचिक्षिपुर्मूर्ध्नि यथा भवस्य

Transliteration

prāsādaśṛṅgeṣvatha pauranāryaḥ sahasraśaḥ puṣpaphalākṣatādyaiḥ sthitāḥ karaistasya hareḥ samantāt pracikṣipurmūrdhni yathā bhavasya

Translation

แล้วบนยอดปราสาท เหล่าสตรีชาวนครยืนอยู่เป็นพัน ๆ มือถือดอกไม้ ผลไม้ ข้าวสารไม่แตก (อักษตะ) และสิ่งมงคลอื่น ๆ จากทุกทิศพวกนางโปรยลงเหนือเศียรของพระหริ ราวกับโปรยเครื่องมงคลเหนือเศียรของพระภวะ (พระศิวะ)

Word by Word

• प्रासाद-शृङ्गेषु: on the palace-tops/pinnacles

• अथ: then

• पौर-नार्यः: the women of the city

• सहस्रशः: by the thousands

• पुष्प-फल-अक्षत-आद्यैः: with flowers, fruits, unbroken rice, etc.

• स्थिताः: standing

• करैः: with (their) hands

• तस्य: of him/that

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)

• समन्तात्: from all sides

• प्रचिक्षिपुः: they threw/showered

• मूर्ध्नि: upon the head

• यथा: as/just as

• भवस्य: of Bhava (Śiva).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It normalizes the use of maṅgala-dravya (flowers, fruits, akṣata) as public acts of reverence, and implicitly frames honoring Hari as consistent with the auspicious honor shown to Bhava—supporting the Purāṇic ethos that Śiva-pūjā is marked by such offerings.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By using Bhava as the benchmark for supreme auspicious veneration, the verse implies Śiva’s status as Pati—the Lord worthy of universal honor—while also indicating a Hari-Hara concord where reverence offered to one aligns with reverence due to Śiva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ritualistically, it highlights pūjā-style upacāras using flowers, fruits, and akṣata as auspicious substances; yogically, it gestures to bhakti as a supportive limb for purifying the paśu (soul) from pāśa (bondage) through devotion to Pati.