Shloka 19

Pārthiva-Śiva-liṅga-māhātmya

The Excellence of the Earthen Śiva Liṅga

Devanagari script

इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे विद्येश्वरसंहितायां साध्यसाधनखंडे पार्थिवशिवलिंगपूजनमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नामैकोनविंशोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe vidyeśvarasaṃhitāyāṃ sādhyasādhanakhaṃḍe pārthivaśivaliṃgapūjanamāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāmaikonaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

So endet im Śrī Śiva-Mahāpurāṇa—innerhalb der Vidyeśvara-Saṃhitā, im Sādhyasādhana-Khaṇḍa—das neunzehnte Kapitel mit dem Titel: „Darlegung der Herrlichkeit der Verehrung des aus Erde geformten Śiva-Liṅga“.

Word by Word

• iti: thus; end-quote marker
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), quotation/closure particle (इति-प्रयोगः)

• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (श्रीशिवस्य महापुराणम्)

• vidyeśvara-saṃhitāyām: in the Vidyeśvara-saṃhitā
• vidyeśvara-saṃhitāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyeśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुषसमासः (विद्येश्वरस्य संहिता)

• sādhya-sādhana-khaṇḍe: in the section on goal and means
• sādhya-sādhana-khaṇḍe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhya (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhana (प्रातिपदिक) + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (साध्यं च साधनं च) + तत्पुरुषः (…खण्डः)

• pārthiva-śiva-liṅga-pūjana-māhātmya-varṇanam: the description of the greatness of worship of an earthen Śiva-liṅga
• pārthiva-śiva-liṅga-pūjana-māhātmya-varṇanam: Karta (कर्ता/heading-subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjana (प्रातिपदिक) + māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (पार्थिवस्य शिवलिङ्गस्य पूजनस्य माहात्म्यस्य वर्णनम्)

• nāma: named; called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/title marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya-like usage (नामा-प्रयोगः) as title-marker; often treated as indeclinable in colophons

• eka-ūna-viṃśaḥ: nineteenth
• eka-ūna-viṃśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + ūna (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; संख्या-विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (एकेन ऊनः विंशतिः = 19)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/heading)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Colophon verse concluding the chapter on the māhātmya (glory) of worshipping a self-made earthen (pārthiva) Śiva-liṅga; it frames the practice as a sādhana within the Sādhyasādhana-khaṇḍa (means toward the goal).

Significance: Establishes that even non-temple, home-based liṅga-pūjā is a valid Śaiva upāya (means), emphasizing accessibility of worship beyond fixed kṣetras.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shiva Linga

FAQs

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

This is the chapter-colophon marking the completion of a teaching on sādhana: it highlights that worship of the Pārthiva (earthen) Śiva-liṅga is presented as a powerful, accessible means for grace and liberation-oriented devotion in the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā.

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

By naming the chapter as the “glory of worship of the earthen Śiva-liṅga,” it frames the liṅga as Saguna support for devotion—an embodied focus through which the seeker approaches the Nirguṇa reality of Śiva via ritual, prayer, and surrender.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse points to Pārthiva-liṅga pūjā (making and worshipping an earthen liṅga), typically supported by mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” along with simple offerings performed with purity and bhakti.