Shloka 7

Śiva-Naivedya-Grāhyatā-Nirṇayaḥ

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

Devanagari script

आगतं शिवनैवेद्यं गृहीत्वा शिरसा मुदा । भक्षणीयं प्रयत्नेन शिवस्मरणपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

āgataṃ śivanaivedyaṃ gṛhītvā śirasā mudā | bhakṣaṇīyaṃ prayatnena śivasmaraṇapūrvakam

Translation

جو نذرانۂ طعام شِو کو پیش کیا گیا ہو، اسے خوشی اور عقیدت سے (گویا سر پر رکھ کر) قبول کرے، پھر شِو کے سمرن کے ساتھ احتیاط سے اسے تناول کرے۔

Word by Word

• आगतम्: having come/received
• आगतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त/क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण

• शिव-नैवेद्यम्: Śiva’s food-offering (naivedya)
• शिव-नैवेद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य नैवेद्यम्)

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• शिरसा: with (one’s) head
• शिरसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/साधनभाव

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• भक्षणीयम्: to be eaten/should be eaten
• भक्षणीयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) → भक्षणीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: णीयत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/आज्ञार्थ

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort/carefully
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• शिव-स्मरण-पूर्वकम्: preceded by remembrance of Śiva
• शिव-स्मरण-पूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थ (adverbial)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s prescribed worship to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General temple etiquette: prasāda is to be received as śirodhārya (worthy of the head) and consumed with śiva-smaraṇa; remembrance converts eating into worship.

Significance: Teaches correct bhāva: reverent reception + smaraṇa makes prasāda-sevā a direct sādhanā, not mere consumption.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implied for śiva-smaraṇa) oṃ namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva’s naivedya becomes sanctified (prasāda) and should be received with humility and joy; remembrance of Shiva purifies the act of eating into devotion, aligning the devotee with Pati (Shiva) rather than mere sense-enjoyment.

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

In Linga/Saguna worship, offerings are made to Shiva and then returned as prasāda; accepting it “with the head” signifies surrender to Shiva’s grace, and Shiva-smaraṇa keeps the devotee’s mind fixed on the worshipped form rather than the food itself.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Before consuming Shiva-prasāda, one should perform Shiva-smaraṇa—mentally repeating the Panchākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") or briefly meditating on the Linga—then eat carefully as an act of devotion.