Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अकृत्वा पार्थिवं लिंगं योन्यदेवं प्रपूजयेत् । वृथा भवति सा पूजा दमदानादिकं वृथा

Transliteration

akṛtvā pārthivaṃ liṃgaṃ yonyadevaṃ prapūjayet | vṛthā bhavati sā pūjā damadānādikaṃ vṛthā

Translation

من لم يُشكِّل أولًا اللِّينغا الترابيّة (بارثيفا) ويعبدها، ثم عبد إلهًا آخر، كانت عبادته باطلة لا ثمرة لها؛ وكذلك ضبط النفس والزهد وأعمال الصدقة تصبح عبثًا إذا انفصلت عن العبادة الصحيحة لِشِيفا في هيئة اللِّينغا.

Word by Word

• अकृत्वा: without making
• अकृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) with नञ्-प्रत्यय (negation): ‘not having done’

• पार्थिवम्: earthen / of clay
• पार्थिवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण of लिङ्गम्

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• योनि-अदेवम्: a non-divine/inauspicious base (yoni)
• योनि-अदेवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + अदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः—योनेः अदेवम् (non-divine/inauspicious womb/base)

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भवति: becomes / is
• भवति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सा: that
• सा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative) of पूजा

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• दम-दान-आदिकम्: self-control, charity, and the like
• दम-दान-आदिकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (copulative): ‘self-control and charity etc.’

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: A sectarian-ritual admonition: without proper Śiva-liṅga upāsanā, other acts are declared ineffective—intended to re-center devotion on Śiva as the supreme refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It asserts a Shaiva priority: worship anchored in the Liṅga (Śiva as Pati, the supreme Lord) gives efficacy to devotion and virtues; without that grounding, external rites and even moral disciplines may not yield their intended spiritual fruit.

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

The Pārthiva Liṅga is a tangible Saguna support for devotion—an accessible form through which the devotee approaches Śiva. The verse teaches that honoring Śiva through the Liṅga sanctifies and completes one’s wider religious practice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to Pārthiva Liṅga pūjā—making an earthen Liṅga and worshipping it with devotion (typically with mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), as a foundational Shaiva practice, especially emphasized in vrata contexts like Mahāśivarātri.