Shloka 34

Pārthiva-Śiva-liṅga-māhātmya

The Excellence of the Earthen Śiva Liṅga

Devanagari script

अखंडं स्थावरं लिंगं द्विखंडं चरमेव च । येकुर्वन्तिनरामूढानपूजाफलभागिनः

Transliteration

akhaṃḍaṃ sthāvaraṃ liṃgaṃ dvikhaṃḍaṃ carameva ca | yekurvantinarāmūḍhānapūjāphalabhāginaḥ

Translation

أمّا اللِّينغا الثابتة (sthāvara) فينبغي أن تكون كاملة غير منكسرة، وأمّا اللِّينغا المتحرّكة (cara) فيجوز أن تُصنع من جزأين. والرجال المغرورون الذين يفعلون خلاف ذلك لا يستحقّون ثمرة العبادة.

Word by Word

• akhaṇḍam: unbroken, whole
• akhaṇḍam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying liṅgam

• sthāvaram: fixed, immovable
• sthāvaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthāvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying liṅgam

• liṅgam: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• liṅgam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• dvikhaṇḍam: two-part, divided into two
• dvikhaṇḍam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying liṅgam (understood)

• caram: movable
• caram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying liṅgam (understood)

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), indeclinable; emphasis

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक), indeclinable

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Relative pronoun (यद्-प्रत्यय), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• kurvanti: do, make
• kurvanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• narān: men, people
• narān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mūḍhān: deluded, foolish
• mūḍhān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūḍha (कृदन्त/ppp from √muh मुह्)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying narān

• apūjā-phala-bhāginaḥ: sharers of the fruit of non-worship (i.e., sin/negative result)
• apūjā-phala-bhāginaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/predicate of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-pūjā (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); predicate adjective of ye (those people)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: This verse is a general śāstric injunction on liṅga-construction (sthāvara vs cara), not a specific Jyotirliṅga legend.

Significance: Right construction and right method (vidhi) are taught as prerequisites for pūjā-phala; violating them blocks the intended spiritual efficacy.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It teaches that devotion must be supported by right observance (vidhi). When the Liṅga is approached in its proper form—fixed as whole, movable as two-part—the worship aligns with Śiva-śāstra, making the sādhaka fit to receive the spiritual fruit.

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

The Liṅga is Saguna worship’s principal support (ālambana) for focusing the mind on Pati (Śiva). The verse distinguishes temple/installed (sthāvara) worship from personal/portable (cara) worship and insists each has its correct traditional form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Follow the prescribed method for the type of Liṅga used: keep the installed Liṅga intact and worship it with standard upacāras, while a movable Liṅga may be two-part; accompany worship with steady japa (e.g., the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to secure the intended fruit.