Shloka 38

पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः

Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya

Devanagari script

लिंगमओंकारमंत्रेण बेरं पंचाक्षरेण तु । स्वयमेव हि सद्द्रव्यैः प्रतिष्ठाप्यं परैरपि

Transliteration

liṃgamaoṃkāramaṃtreṇa beraṃ paṃcākṣareṇa tu | svayameva hi saddravyaiḥ pratiṣṭhāpyaṃ parairapi

Translation

Der Liṅga ist mit dem Oṁkāra-Mantra zu installieren, das heilige Bild (bera) hingegen mit der Pañcākṣarī. Wahrlich, die Weihe soll mit reinen und rechten Substanzen vollzogen werden, ob man sie selbst ausführt oder durch andere ausführen lässt.

Word by Word

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• oṃkāra-mantrena: with the Oṃkāra-mantra
• oṃkāra-mantrena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpuruṣa: 'mantra of Oṃkāra')

• beram: icon/image (bera)
• beram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bera (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• paṃcākṣareṇa: with the five-syllabled (mantra)
• paṃcākṣareṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (as mantra-name), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical compound: 'five-syllabled [mantra]')

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• svayam: by oneself
• svayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-इत्यव्यय (adverb: oneself)

• eva: only / indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• hi: indeed / for
• hi: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• sat-dravyaiḥ: with pure materials
• sat-dravyaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + dravya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (descriptive: 'good/pure substances')

• pratiṣṭhāpyam: to be installed/established
• pratiṣṭhāpyam: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative base + यत्/तव्यत्-भाव (gerundive: 'to be स्थापित/installed'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• paraiḥ: by others
• paraiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• api: also / even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-प्रयोग (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara

Sthala Purana: The verse’s emphasis on Oṃkāra for liṅga-pratiṣṭhā resonates with Oṃkāreśvara’s identity as the jyotirliṅga associated with Oṃ; the kṣetra tradition links Śiva’s presence to the praṇava-form.

Significance: Praṇava-centered liṅga worship and proper consecration (pratiṣṭhā) are held to stabilize devotion and yield siddhi and mokṣa-oriented merit.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implied) oṃ / namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Mantra as cosmic principle: praṇava as the seed-sound structuring ritual efficacy.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva’s presence is invoked through mantra and purity: Oṁkāra is central to Liṅga-consecration, and the Pañcākṣarī establishes intimate devotional connection to Śiva for embodied worship.

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

It distinguishes forms of worship: the Liṅga (a primary Shaiva symbol) is installed with Oṁ, while the bera (iconic, saguna form) is installed with the Pañcākṣarī—showing complementary approaches to Śiva’s worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Mantra-based pratiṣṭhā: chant Oṁ for Liṅga installation and ‘namaḥ śivāya’ for the icon, ensuring saddravya (pure offerings/substances) and proper consecration, whether done personally or via qualified priests.