Shloka 40

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

शुद्धभावनया चैव स्थापितं लिंगमुत्तमम् । तल्लिंगं पौरुषं प्राहुस्तत्प्रतिष्ठितमुच्यते

Transliteration

śuddhabhāvanayā caiva sthāpitaṃ liṃgamuttamam | talliṃgaṃ pauruṣaṃ prāhustatpratiṣṭhitamucyate

Translation

Wird der höchste Liṅga mit reiner innerer Gesinnung und hingebungsvoller Bhakti eingesetzt, so heißt dieser Liṅga «pauruṣa» (von einem Menschen errichtet) und wird «pratiṣṭhita» genannt — rechtmäßig geweiht und an seinem Ort festgesetzt.

Word by Word

• śuddha-bhāvanayā: by pure contemplation/intent
• śuddha-bhāvanayā: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः कर्मधारयः—‘शुद्धा भाावना’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय)

• sthāpitam: established
• sthāpitam: Karma (कर्म/Object—PPP agreeing with object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) + ṇic?; past passive participle sthāpita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (कृत/क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘स्थापितम्’ = ‘has been established’

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uttamam: supreme, excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); विशेषणम्—liṅgam

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (विशेषण/demonstrative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative used in compound with liṅgam

• liṅgam: liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (कर्म/Object—of prāhuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• pauruṣam: (called) ‘pauruṣa’
• pauruṣam: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pauruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); विशेषणम्—liṅgam

• prāhuḥ: they have said/called
• prāhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—‘they’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह्/ब्रू धातु—‘to say’)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); परस्मैपद

• tat-pratiṣṭhitam: (it) is called ‘tatpratiṣṭhita’
• tat-pratiṣṭhitam: Visheshya (विशेष्य/predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + pratiṣṭhita (कृदन्त; √sthā with prati-)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः—‘तत्-प्रतिṣṭhitam’ = ‘established by/with that (method)’; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्

• ucyate: is said/called
• ucyate: Kriya (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Passive voice (कर्मणि), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); आत्मनेपद-रूपम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Defines a classificatory category: a liṅga installed by human agency with śuddha-bhāvanā is ‘pauruṣa’ and is ‘pratiṣṭhita’. This is a general doctrinal-ritual taxonomy rather than a single kṣetra legend.

Significance: Affirms that consecrated, personally installed liṅgas are valid loci of Śiva’s grace; supports household/temple pratiṣṭhā traditions beyond svayambhū shrines.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the sanctity of Śiva-liṅga worship depends not only on outer ritual but on śuddha-bhāvanā—purity of heart—through which the consecrated Liṅga becomes a powerful support for devotion and grace in the Shaiva Siddhanta spirit of Pati (Śiva) uplifting the paśu (soul).

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

The Liṅga here is the saguna support for worship: when installed and consecrated (pratiṣṭhita), it becomes a stable, visible locus for approaching the formless Lord through form—uniting inner devotion with an authorized ritual presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and daily pūjā with inner purity—steady mind, clean conduct, and devotional focus—while supporting the worship with japa such as the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) as appropriate to one’s tradition.