Shiva Purana — Vidyesvara Samhita, Shloka 120

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

आदित्यादीन्ग्रहानिष्ट्वा सर्वहोमांत एव हि । ऋत्विभ्यो दक्षिणां दद्यान्नवरत्नं यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

ādityādīngrahāniṣṭvā sarvahomāṃta eva hi | ṛtvibhyo dakṣiṇāṃ dadyānnavaratnaṃ yathākramam

Translation

既已依次礼敬以太阳为首的诸行星神祇，并且在一切火供圆满之际，当按规定次第，以九宝（navaratna）之形赐予主祭诸祭司其供养金（dakṣiṇā）。

Word by Word

• आदित्य-आदीन्: (the deities) beginning with Āditya
• आदित्य-आदीन्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आदित्यादयः ये ते)

• ग्रहान्: planets/grahas
• ग्रहान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• इष्ट्वा: having worshipped
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु) → इष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having worshipped/sacrificed to’

• सर्व-होम-अन्ते: at the end of all homas
• सर्व-होम-अन्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां होमानां अन्ते)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• ऋत्विभ्यः: to the priests (ṛtviks)
• ऋत्विभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• दक्षिणाम्: fee, honorarium (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नव-रत्नम्: nine gems (navaratna)
• नव-रत्नम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (नवानि रत्नानि)

• यथा-क्रमम्: in due order, sequentially
• यथा-क्रमम्: Prakara (प्रकार/manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kāśī ritual manuals often integrate graha-śānti as an ancillary to Śiva worship; worship of Āditya and other grahas is subordinated to the final completion of the homa, then dakṣiṇā is offered to ṛtviks.

Significance: Graha-śānti is treated as removing worldly impediments (upadrava) so the devotee’s practice can remain steady; dakṣiṇā sustains the Vedic-Śaiva ritual ecosystem in the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Aditya)
• Grahadevas
• Ritviks (priests)

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shaiva worship is completed not only by mantra and homa, but also by dharmic closure—honoring sacred forces (grahas) and supporting the officiants through proper dakṣiṇā, which sustains the ritual order aligned with Shiva’s dharma.

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

In Linga-worship, the devotee approaches Saguna Shiva through orderly rites; graha-worship and concluding gifts are auxiliary disciplines that remove obstacles and stabilize the devotee’s outer and inner worship, allowing Shiva-bhakti to mature without ritual deficiency.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform the concluding steps of homa properly: offer final oblations, worship the grahas beginning with Surya (graha-śānti), and give dakṣiṇā—here specified as navaratna in order—while maintaining a devotional remembrance of Shiva as the inner Lord of all cosmic powers.