Shloka 17

आवरणपूजावर्णनम् (Āvaraṇa-pūjā-varṇanam) — Description of Enclosure/Layered Worship

Devanagari script

उत्तरे विष्णुमावाह्य गन्धपुष्पादिभिर्यजेत् । प्रतद्विष्णुरिति प्रोच्य कर्णिकायान्दलेषु च

Transliteration

uttare viṣṇumāvāhya gandhapuṣpādibhiryajet | pratadviṣṇuriti procya karṇikāyāndaleṣu ca

Translation

于北方，应请召毗湿奴尊，并以香料、鲜花等供养礼拜。行供之时，当诵念“此即毗湿奴”，并将此觉知安置于中央花房（karnikā）及诸花瓣之上。

Word by Word

• uttare: in the north
• uttare: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) used as direction, Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• āvāhya: having invoked
• āvāhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vah (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्) ‘having invoked’

• gandha-puṣpa-ādibhiḥ: with perfumes, flowers, etc.
• gandha-puṣpa-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘with perfumes, flowers, etc.’

• yajet: should worship
• yajet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• pratad-viṣṇuḥ: (the mantra/name) ‘Pratad-viṣṇu’
• pratad-viṣṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratad (पद/मन्त्र-शब्द) + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); mantra-name compound: ‘Pratad-viṣṇu’ (as cited)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyasaṃjñā (वाक्यसंज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• procya: having said/recited
• procya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्) from pra-√vac ‘to say’; ‘having uttered/said’

• karṇikāyām: in the pericarp
• karṇikāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• daleṣu: in the petals
• daleṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: pratad viṣṇur iti

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches directional and mandala-based worship where the devotee consciously identifies the deity’s presence—training the mind to perceive divinity as installed and honored through disciplined ritual awareness.

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

Within Shaiva ritual frameworks, associated deities may be honored in specific directions of the maṇḍala while the central devotion remains oriented to Shiva; this supports saguna-upāsanā by structuring attention, offerings, and sacred placement.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Invoke Viṣṇu in the northern direction and perform worship with gandha and puṣpa, while mentally and verbally fixing the identification “This is Viṣṇu” in the lotus center and petals—akin to mantra-nyāsa and dhyāna on a ritual diagram.