Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 10

लिङ्ग-बेर-प्रतिष्ठाविधिः / The Procedure for Installing the Liṅga and the Bera

Icon

Devanagari script

तेजसं दारवं वापि कृत्वा पद्मासनांकितम् । विन्यसेन्मध्यतस्तत्र विपुलं पीठकालयम्

Transliteration

tejasaṃ dāravaṃ vāpi kṛtvā padmāsanāṃkitam | vinyasenmadhyatastatra vipulaṃ pīṭhakālayam

Translation

Nachdem man einen strahlenden, glückverheißenden Sitz — aus glänzendem Metall oder aus Holz — gefertigt und mit dem Zeichen des Padmāsana (Lotossitz) versehen hat, soll man dort, genau in der Mitte, eine breite Sockelbasis als heilige Stütze (pīṭha) der Verehrung aufstellen.

Word by Word

• tejasam: bright, splendid
• tejasam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tejasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter Acc sg; qualifying dāravam)

• dāravam: wooden (object), made of wood
• dāravam: Karma (कर्म; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dārava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter Acc sg)

• vā: or
• vā: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• api: also/even
• api: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु; त्वा-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): 'having made/done'

• padma-āsana-aṅkitam: marked with a lotus-seat emblem
• padma-āsana-aṅkitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padma + āsana + aṅkita (अङ्क् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिकीभूत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (neuter Acc sg; 'marked with lotus-seat')

• vinyaset: one should place
• vinyaset: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ni-as (अस्/न्यस् धातु; causative sense 'to place' treated as √nyas with vi+ni)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative 3rd sg: 'should place')

• madhyataḥ: in the middle
• madhyataḥ: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhyataḥ (अव्यय; from madhya)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from/in the middle')

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• vipulam: large, spacious
• vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter Acc sg; qualifying pīṭhakālayam)

• pīṭhaka-ālayam: a pedestal-platform (seat) structure
• pīṭhaka-ālayam: Karma (कर्म; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīṭhaka + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter Acc sg)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: The central pīṭha and lotus-marked āsana externalize the ‘support’ (ādhāra) for stable worship—an embodied discipline that steadies the paśu and aligns attention toward Pati.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that outer order supports inner steadiness: preparing an auspicious, lotus-marked seat and a stable central pedestal symbolizes establishing the mind in purity and balance before approaching Lord Shiva in worship.

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

The verse describes the physical arrangement for Linga-centered worship—creating an asana and placing a pīṭha at the center—reflecting Saguna upasana where Shiva is approached through a consecrated form while remembering Him as the supreme Pati beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests a practical puja-vidhi step: prepare a clean, auspicious worship-seat and place the pedestal centrally; this supports focused japa (such as the Panchakshara ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’) and steady dhyana during Linga worship.