Shloka 3

शिवध्यानपूजनवर्णनम्

Description of Śiva Meditation and Worship

Devanagari script

अभ्यर्च्य गन्धपुष्पाद्यैः प्रणवेन च सप्तधा । अभिमंत्र्य ततस्तस्मिन्धेनुमुद्रां प्रदर्शयेत्

Transliteration

abhyarcya gandhapuṣpādyaiḥ praṇavena ca saptadhā | abhimaṃtrya tatastasmindhenumudrāṃ pradarśayet

Translation

Sau khi cung kính cúng dường hương liệu, hoa và các phẩm vật khác, lại thực hành bảy lần với Praṇava (Oṁ), thì hãy trì chú để gia trì (abhimantra) cho vật ấy. Kế đó, ngay trong nghi lễ ấy, hãy thị hiện Dhenumudrā—ấn tay “bò cái”—làm ấn chứng nghi thức.

Word by Word

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), absolutive/gerund; ‘having worshipped’

• गन्ध-पुष्प-आद्यैः: with incense, flowers, etc.
• गन्ध-पुष्प-आद्यैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/तत्पुरुष-समास (‘गन्धपुष्पादि’ = incense, flowers, etc.); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सप्तधा: sevenfold, in seven ways
• सप्तधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्तधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• अभिमन्त्र्य: having recited mantra over (it)
• अभिमन्त्र्य: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), absolutive/gerund; ‘having consecrated/enchanted (by mantra)’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमसूचक (adverb)

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/object)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative, Singular (pronoun)

• धेनु-मुद्राम्: the dhenu-mudrā (cow-gesture)
• धेनु-मुद्राम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक) + मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘धेनोः मुद्रा’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रदर्शयेत्: should display
• प्रदर्शयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative, 3rd person, Singular; परस्मैपद (causative sense ‘make show’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailāsasaṃhitā’s prescribed method of Shiva-worship to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: ॐ (प्रणव)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva-worship becomes inwardly effective when offerings are joined with Praṇava-recitation and mantra-consecration—uniting external pūjā with inner awareness of Pati (Shiva) as the supreme consciousness.

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

The verse describes a concrete pūjā-sequence—offerings (gandha, puṣpa), Praṇava used ritually, and mudrā—typical of Saguna Shiva/Linga worship, where sacred gestures and mantras ‘seal’ the rite as an invocation of Shiva’s present grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Linga-pūjā with flowers and fragrance, recite Oṁ in a sevenfold manner, consecrate the act with mantra, and use Dhenumudrā as a protective/auspicious ritual seal during the worship.