Śiva Naivedya and Bilva Māhātmya

Naivedya is food offered to the deity during pūjā. The Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā of the Śiva Purāṇa explains how naivedya is to be offered in Śiva pūjā as part of the shoḍaśopacāra, the pūjā of sixteen services. It also records that the ketakī flower must never be offered to Śiva.

The saṃhitā ends with the highest praise of the bilva (bel) tree. It says the bilva is Mahādeva’s own form, that offering a lamp at its root brings tattva-jñāna (knowledge of the ultimate truth) and Maheśvara-sāyujya (complete union with Śiva), and that all tīrthas (holy places) dwell at its root.

Naivedya in the Sixteen-Service Pūjā

Naivedya (food offering) is the twelfth of the sixteen services (shoḍaśopacāra) in Śiva pūjā. It means offering one’s own food to Śiva: placing what feeds the body at the feet of the one who feeds all that exists. The Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā says that naivedya should be pure, prepared with devotion, and offered before it is eaten (Chapter 12).

The proper order of the sixteen services is:

  1. Āvāhana (invitation)
  2. Āsana (seat)
  3. Arghya (water for the hands)
  4. Pādya (water for the feet)
  5. Ācamana (water for the mouth)
  6. Abhyaṅgana-snāna (bath with oil)
  7. Vastra (clothing)
  8. Gandha (sandal paste, fragrance)
  9. Pushpa (flowers)
  10. Dhūpa (incense)
  11. Dīpa (lamp)
  12. Naivedya (food)
  13. Nīrājana (āratī, waving of lamps)
  14. Tāmbūla (betel)
  15. Namaskāra (bowing down)
  16. Udvāsana (farewell)

The Ban on the Ketakī Flower

The Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā lays down a lasting rule: ketakī flowers (Pandanus odoratissimus, screw pine) must never be offered in Śiva pūjā. Śiva himself made this rule at the time of the Liṅgodbhava, when he appeared as an endless pillar of light. Brahmā falsely claimed to have seen the top of the pillar, and the ketakī flower backed his claim as a false witness. Because it took part in this deceit, the flower was shut out of Śiva pūjā forever (Chapter 8).

Bilva Māhātmya: The Holiness of the Bilva Tree

The last chapter of the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā is given to the glory of the bilva (bel) tree, Aegle marmelos, and its bond with Śiva. What it says is among the most remarkable teachings in the saṃhitā (Chapter 25).

The bilva is Mahādeva’s own form: The bilva tree is not only sacred to Śiva or linked with him. It is declared to be Mahādeva himself in the form of a plant. So offering pūjā at a bilva tree, walking around it in reverence, or making offerings there is the same as offering pūjā to Śiva directly.

All tīrthas dwell at the bilva root: The mūla (root) of the bilva tree is said to be the home of all the tīrthas, the holy places and sacred rivers. Bathing at the bilva root, pouring water at the root while chanting, is equal to bathing at all the tīrthas at once. This has great practical value: one who cannot travel to the Gaṅgā, to Kāśī or to Aruṇācala can gain the fruit of all these tīrthas by performing snāna (ritual bathing) at a bilva root.

A lamp at the bilva brings knowledge and union: Offering a single dīpa (lamp) at the bilva tree gives the devotee two fruits: tattva-jñāna (knowledge of the ultimate reality) and Maheśvara-sāyujya (complete union with Maheśvara, that is, Śiva). These are the highest spiritual fruits there are. The first is a clear understanding of Śiva’s nature as the Parabrahman, the supreme reality. The second is full liberation, in which the jīva (individual soul) merges with Śiva.

That such great fruits come from simply lighting a lamp at a bilva tree matches the way sāyujya can also be reached through japa (repetition) of the Pañcāksharī mantra, through the Śivarātri vrata, and through listening to Śiva’s names. Śiva makes the highest fruit available through the simplest acts of sincere devotion.

Bilva Leaves as an Offering

Bilva leaves grow in threes, standing for the threefold nature of Śiva. They are the finest offering in Śiva pūjā, better than costly flowers. A single bilva leaf offered with devotion pleases Śiva more than elaborate offerings of flowers. The three-lobed leaf naturally stands for the triśūla (trident) and for Śiva’s three powers: sṛshṭi (the power of creation), sthiti (the power of sustaining) and saṃhāra (the power of dissolution). Bilva leaves are used in every kind of Śiva pūjā and are offered to the liṅga.

The Tripuṇḍra and the Bilva

The bond between the bilva and Śiva also reaches to the tripuṇḍra, the three horizontal lines of sacred ash worn on the forehead. The three lines of the tripuṇḍra match the three lobes of the bilva leaf. Both express the same threefold principle of Śiva. A devotee who wears the tripuṇḍra and offers bilva to the liṅga is doing two acts that echo each other, both bringing them closer to Śiva.

Sources

  • Śiva Purāṇa, Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā (Book 1), Chapters 8, 12 and 25