Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 12

पुष्पार्पण-विनिर्णयः

Determination of Flower-Offerings to Śiva

Devanagari script

शंखपुष्पैस्तथा प्रोक्तं विशेषेण पुरातनैः । सर्वकामफलं दिव्यं परत्रेहापि सर्वथा

Transliteration

śaṃkhapuṣpaistathā proktaṃ viśeṣeṇa purātanaiḥ | sarvakāmaphalaṃ divyaṃ paratrehāpi sarvathā

Translation

บรรพชนโบราณได้ประกาศไว้เป็นพิเศษว่า การบูชาด้วยดอกศังข์ย่อมให้ผลทิพย์อันบันดาลความปรารถนาทั้งปวง สำเร็จแน่นอนทั้งในโลกนี้และโลกหน้า

Word by Word

• शंख-पुष्पैः: with conch-flowers (śaṅkha-flowers)
• शंख-पुष्पैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/so)

• प्रोक्तम्: has been declared/said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रोक्त (प्रातिपदिक; प्र-वच्/वच्-धातुज कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as predicate 'has been said'

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'especially'

• पुरातनैः: by the ancients
• पुरातनैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied 'ṛṣis/elders')

• सर्व-काम-फलम्: the fruit of all desires
• सर्व-काम-फलम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + काम + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• परत्र: in the hereafter
• परत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (there/thereafter, in the next world)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (here, in this world)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• सर्वथा: in every way
• सर्वथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in every way/always)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a specific Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse belongs to a general Śiva-pūjā-vidhi section where particular flowers are praised for their phala (fruit).

Significance: Frames Śiva as the giver of both iha (worldly) and paratra (otherworldly) fruits through proper upacāra; encourages flower-offering as an accessible sādhana.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that sincere devotional offering to Lord Shiva can bear fruit in both domains—worldly well-being (iha) and spiritual welfare beyond death (paratra), pointing to Shiva’s grace as the true source of fulfillment.

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

The verse supports Saguna worship—serving Shiva through tangible offerings such as flowers—commonly performed to the Shiva-Linga, where the act becomes a vehicle for receiving Shiva’s benevolent grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is flower-offering in Shiva-puja (especially with śaṅkha-flowers as praised here), ideally accompanied by mantra-japa such as the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to unite external worship with inner remembrance.