Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 15
हिमवतः सुमङ्गलोत्सव-नगररचना
Himavān’s Auspicious Festival Preparations and City Adornment
गजाश्चालङ्कृता ह्यासन्कृत्रिमा अकृतोपमाः । तथाश्वाः न सादिभिश्चैव गजाश्च गजसादिभिः
gajāścālaṅkṛtā hyāsankṛtrimā akṛtopamāḥ | tathāśvāḥ na sādibhiścaiva gajāśca gajasādibhiḥ
Lại có những voi được trang sức lộng lẫy—tuy do khéo tạo tác mà thành, vẫn vô song. Cũng vậy, có những ngựa với đầy đủ yên cương; và những voi nữa, có quản tượng cùng người tinh thông việc điều khiển voi theo hầu.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
The verse depicts magnificent, carefully arranged splendour around the sacred narrative, implying that worldly grandeur attains auspiciousness when it becomes an offering within Shiva–Parvati’s divine context; devotion (bhakti) is the inner value, while opulence is secondary and instrumental.
Though the verse describes external arrangements (vehicles, attendants, ornaments), it supports Saguna-bhakti—honouring Shiva in manifest, celebratory form; such outer reverence is traditionally directed toward the Linga and Shiva’s presence, while remembering that the ultimate reality remains beyond form.
The takeaway is to convert external preparation into inner worship: recite the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while preparing offerings, and maintain purity and reverence—treating all arrangements as seva (service) to Shiva.