Shloka 27

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । लिंगानां च क्रमं वक्ष्ये यथावच्छृणुत द्विजाः । तदेव लिंगं प्रथमं प्रणवं सार्वकामिकम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | liṃgānāṃ ca kramaṃ vakṣye yathāvacchṛṇuta dvijāḥ | tadeva liṃgaṃ prathamaṃ praṇavaṃ sārvakāmikam

Translation

Sūta sprach: „Ich werde in rechter Ordnung die Rangfolge der Liṅgas darlegen—hört aufmerksam zu, o zweimal Geborene. Das allererste Liṅga ist der Praṇava (Oṁ), der alle rechtmäßigen Ziele erfüllt.“

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• liṅgānām: of liṅgas
• liṅgānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• kramam: order, sequence
• kramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vakṣye: I shall tell
• vakṣye: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• yathāvat: properly, in due order
• yathāvat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• śṛṇuta: listen
• śṛṇuta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (addressed; vocative sense possible)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prathamam: first
• prathamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of liṅgam)

• praṇavam: Praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; apposition to liṅgam

• sārvakāmikam: granting all desires
• sārvakāmikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sārva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्व-कामिक: 'fulfilling all desires'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of praṇavam/liṅgam)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Establishes Praṇava (Oṃ) as the primordial Liṅga—inner worship that supports all dharmic aims and culminates in liberation when joined with Śiva-bhakti and right practice.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ (praṇava)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes Oṁ (Praṇava) as the primordial Liṅga—Shiva’s subtlest sign—indicating that all forms of Liṅga worship ultimately rest on sound-consciousness and lead toward Shiva-realization.

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

It links Saguna Liṅga worship to its subtle source: Praṇava. External worship of the Liṅga is affirmed, while the verse points to the inner reality of Shiva as the transcendent principle symbolized by Oṁ.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa and contemplation of Praṇava (Oṁ)—especially as the seed preceding mantra practice—can be taken as the key practice, supporting Liṅga-pūjā and leading the mind toward steady devotion and liberation.