Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 45

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

Icon

Devanagari script

प्रतिष्ठां लिंगवत्कुर्यात्प्रतिमास्वपि सर्वतः । लक्षणोद्धारसमये कार्यं नयनमोचनम्

Transliteration

pratiṣṭhāṃ liṃgavatkuryātpratimāsvapi sarvataḥ | lakṣaṇoddhārasamaye kāryaṃ nayanamocanam

Translation

Selbst bei Bildgestalten (pratimā) soll man in jedem Fall die Weihe und Einsetzung (pratiṣṭhā) ebenso vollziehen wie beim Śiva-Liṅga. Und zur Zeit der Wiederherstellung der glückverheißenden Merkmale (lakṣaṇoddhāra) ist der Ritus der „Augenöffnung“ (nayana-mocana) unbedingt auszuführen.

Word by Word

• प्रतिष्ठाम्: consecration/installation
• प्रतिष्ठाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• लिङ्गवत्: as (done) for a liṅga
• लिङ्गवत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्गवत् (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक विशेषणम् (indeclinable-like adjectival usage)

• कुर्यात्: should do/should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रतिमासु: in/for the images (idols)
• प्रतिमासु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• सर्वतः: in every way/entirely
• सर्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• लक्षणोद्धारसमये: at the time of removing/erasing the marks (defects/signs)
• लक्षणोद्धारसमये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण + उद्धार + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लक्षणस्य उद्धारः) + तत्पुरुषः (उद्धारस्य समयः)

• कार्यम्: is to be done/should be performed
• कार्यम्: Vidheyārtha (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः कृत्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• नयनमोचनम्: opening of the eyes (eye-opening rite)
• नयनमोचनम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्तृ/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नयनस्य मोचनम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga legend; it is an arcā/pratiṣṭhā directive: pratimā installation should follow liṅga-pratiṣṭhā principles, and damaged/renewed features require nayanamocana (eye-opening) to re-establish living presence.

Significance: Affirms that temple icons are not mere art: through pratiṣṭhā and nayanamocana they become loci of Śiva’s accessible presence for devotees, enabling darśana and grace.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that a Shiva image is to be treated as a living, consecrated presence of Pati (Lord Shiva) only after proper pratiṣṭhā; restoring the icon’s sacred marks also requires re-invoking divine presence through the eye-opening rite.

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

It equates the ritual standard for pratimā-worship with liṅga-worship: both are Saguna supports through which devotees approach Shiva, and both require formal installation so the worship becomes scripturally valid and spiritually efficacious.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to temple praxis: perform proper pratiṣṭhā and, during lakṣaṇoddhāra (repair/restoration), do nayana-mocana—symbolically awakening the deity’s sight—typically accompanied by Shiva mantras and purification rites.