Shloka 48

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

रसलिंगं ब्राह्मणानां सर्वाभीष्टप्रदं भवेत् । बाणलिंगं क्षत्रियाणां महाराज्यप्रदं शुभम्

Transliteration

rasaliṃgaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ sarvābhīṣṭapradaṃ bhavet | bāṇaliṃgaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ mahārājyapradaṃ śubham

Translation

Für Brahmanen wird das rasa-liṅga zum Spender aller ersehnten Ziele. Für Kshatriyas ist das bāṇa-liṅga glückverheißend und gewährt große Souveränität und königliche Herrschaft.

Word by Word

• रसलिंगम्: the rasa-liṅga
• रसलिंगम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक) + लिंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘रसस्य लिंगम्’

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• सर्वाभीष्टप्रदम्: granting all desired (boons)
• सर्वाभीष्टप्रदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—‘सर्वम् अभीष्टम्’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषसदृश) + ‘प्रद’ → षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘सर्वाभीष्टस्य प्रदः’ (giver of all desired things)

• भवेत्: would be/should become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• बाणलिंगम्: the bāṇa-liṅga
• बाणलिंगम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक) + लिंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘बाणस्य लिंगम्’

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियाणाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• महाराज्यप्रदम्: granting great sovereignty
• महाराज्यप्रदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—‘महाराज्यम्’ (कर्मधारयः—great kingdom) + ‘प्रद’ → षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘महाराज्यस्य प्रदः’

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that devotion to Śiva through appropriate liṅga-worship yields aligned fruits: fulfillment of rightful aims (dharma, artha, and inner well-being) and the stabilizing of one’s ordained duties, ultimately pointing the devotee toward Śiva’s grace as the highest goal.

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

It presents the liṅga as Saguna Śiva’s accessible form for daily worship, where different liṅga-types are associated with distinct, dharma-oriented results—showing how form-based devotion can mature the soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Choose a liṅga suitable for one’s tradition, worship it with purity (abhisheka, bilva leaves, and mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and dedicate the fruits to Śiva—transforming worldly aims into disciplined, devotional practice.