Shiva Purana — Vidyesvara Samhita, Shloka 119

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेत्पश्चाद्यावदाहुतिसंख्यया । आचार्यश्च हविष्याशीऋत्विजश्च भवेद्बुधाः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānbhojayetpaścādyāvadāhutisaṃkhyayā | ācāryaśca haviṣyāśīṛtvijaśca bhavedbudhāḥ

Translation

随后，应按所献供投（阿呼底）之数，供养婆罗门并设食施。智者当使阿阇梨（ācārya）与主祭祭司（ṛtvij）唯食哈维斯（havis）——已被仪式净化的供食。

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• भोजयेत्: should feed (cause to eat)
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भोजय (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• यावत्: as much as, up to
• यावत्: Parimana (परिमाण/extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: ‘as much as/so long as’)

• आहुति-संख्यया: by the number of oblations
• आहुति-संख्यया: Karana (करण/measure-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहुति (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आहुतिनां संख्या)

• आचार्यः: the teacher (ācārya)
• आचार्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• हविष्याशी: one who eats only havis (ritual food)
• हविष्याशी: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हविष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (हविष्यं अश्नाति इति)

• ऋत्विजः: the officiating priest (ṛtvij)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• बुधाः: the wise (persons)
• बुधाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the procedure and merits of Shiva worship to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: In Kāśī-oriented Śiva worship, completion is sealed by feeding brāhmaṇas and ensuring priests partake of havis; this frames Śiva’s grace as flowing through dharmic reciprocity and proper closure.

Significance: Dāna and bhojana after worship are treated as merit-amplifiers; pilgrims understand service to learned brāhmaṇas as supporting the rite’s fruit and communal dharma in the kṣetra.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva-worship is completed not only by offerings into fire but also by dharmic completion—honoring the sacred community and maintaining ritual purity through consecrated food, reflecting disciplined devotion (bhakti) joined to right action (kriyā).

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

In Saguna Shiva worship (including Linga-puja), the rite culminates in proper completion (pūrṇāhuti, hospitality, and dana). Feeding brāhmaṇas and ensuring the ācārya and ṛtvij consume only havis preserves sanctity and aligns the outer ritual with inner reverence for Shiva as the Lord of the sacrifice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is the disciplined completion of homa/puja: match charitable feeding to the number of āhutis and keep the officiants on havis (consecrated diet), reinforcing purity (śauca) and sincerity in Shiva sādhanā.