Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा-माहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of Liṅga Installation

Devanagari script

यदृच्छया गतस्तत्र ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः

Transliteration

yadṛcchayā gatastatra brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ

Translation

Durch göttliche Fügung gelangte Brahmā – der Großvater und Urerzeuger der Welten – an jenen Ort.

Word by Word

• yadṛcchayā: by chance
• yadṛcchayā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; used adverbially

• gataḥ: gone/arrived
• gataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; √gam (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; past participle qualifying brahmā

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• lokapitāmahaḥ: grandfather of the worlds
• lokapitāmahaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: lokānām pitāmahaḥ

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It highlights that even Brahmā’s movements occur under a higher providential order—hinting that the Supreme Lord (Pati, Śiva) silently governs the unfolding of events beyond individual intention.

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

Though the verse names Brahmā, the Vāyavīya context commonly frames such arrivals as leading toward Śiva’s revelation in a tangible, worship-worthy form—often culminating in devotion to Saguna Śiva (including Liṅga-upāsanā) as the accessible doorway to the transcendent.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is receptivity to divine prompting: maintain daily Śiva-smaraṇa through pañcākṣarī japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and simple Śiva-pūjā so that ‘chance’ becomes an occasion for grace rather than distraction.