Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

पूजनीयो महादेवो लिंगमूर्तिस्सनातनः । पद्ममष्टदलं हैमं नवरत्नैरलंकृतम्

Transliteration

pūjanīyo mahādevo liṃgamūrtissanātanaḥ | padmamaṣṭadalaṃ haimaṃ navaratnairalaṃkṛtam

Translation

Mahādeva, der Ewige, dessen Gestalt der Liṅga ist, ist zu verehren. Zu Seiner Verehrung soll man einen goldenen Lotus mit acht Blättern darbringen, geschmückt mit den neun Edelsteinen.

Word by Word

• pūjanīyaḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjanīyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjanīya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा) Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); Gerundive (तव्यत्/नीयत्-प्रत्ययार्थः) ‘to be worshipped’

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva
• mahādevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (mahān devaḥ)

• liṅga-mūrtiḥ: the form of the liṅga
• liṅga-mūrtiḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Appositional/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga + mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (liṅgasya mūrtiḥ)

• sanātanaḥ: eternal
• sanātanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; adjective qualifying mahādevaḥ/liṅga-mūrtiḥ

• padmam: lotus
• padmam: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom/Acc) Ekavacana; here as head of description of āsana (implicit)

• aṣṭa-dalam: eight-petalled
• aṣṭa-dalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa + dala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā Ekavacana; द्विगु-समासः ‘having eight petals’

• haimam: golden
• haimam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: haima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā Ekavacana; agrees with padmam

• nava-ratnaiḥ: with nine gems
• nava-ratnaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया) Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); द्विगु ‘with nine gems’

• alaṃkṛtam: adorned
• alaṃkṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alaṃkṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ with alam- prefix)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā Ekavacana; Past Passive Participle (क्त/कृत)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents the Liṅga as Mahādeva’s eternal, worship-worthy form—guiding the soul (paśu) to approach Pati through reverent, beauty-filled devotion that purifies bonds (pāśa) and turns the mind toward liberation.

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

It explicitly affirms Liṅga-mūrti worship as valid and primary: Saguna worship—offering a sacred lotus and precious adornments—stabilizes devotion and concentration, preparing the seeker to realize Shiva beyond attributes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Liṅga-pūjā with a lotus (ideally aṣṭadala) as an offering; while offering, maintain one-pointed remembrance of Mahādeva and recite the Panchākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as the inner act of worship.