Shloka 23

Pārthiva-Śiva-liṅga-māhātmya

The Excellence of the Earthen Śiva Liṅga

Devanagari script

शिवं यः पूजयेन्नित्यं कृत्वा लिंगं तु पार्थिवम् । यावज्जीवनपर्यंतं स याति शिवमन्दिरम्

Transliteration

śivaṃ yaḥ pūjayennityaṃ kṛtvā liṃgaṃ tu pārthivam | yāvajjīvanaparyaṃtaṃ sa yāti śivamandiram

Translation

Wer den Herrn Śiva täglich verehrt, indem er ein pārthiva-liṅga (ein aus Erde geformtes Zeichen Śivas) anfertigt, und diese Übung bis zum Ende des Lebens fortsetzt, gelangt zu Śivas Mandir—zu seiner göttlichen Wohnstatt, zur Nähe des Herrn, die durch seine Gnade in Befreiung mündet.

Word by Word

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

• pūjayet: would worship; should worship
• pūjayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विḍ्/लिङ्), Parasmaipada; 3rd person singular (प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन); धातु: पूज् (पूजायाम्)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण द्वितीया), ‘always’

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), avyayakṛdanta; धातु: कृ (करणे)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; contrastive/emphatic particle (तु-प्रयोगः)

• pārthivam: earthen
• pārthivam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective qualifying liṅgam

• yāvat-jīvana-paryantam: until the end of life
• yāvat-jīvana-paryantam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय) + jīvana (प्रातिपदिक) + paryanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva used adverbially; ‘up to the end of life’ (जीवनस्य पर्यन्तं यावत्)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• yāti: goes; attains
• yāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लṭ्), Parasmaipada; 3rd person singular (प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन); धातु: या (गत्यर्थे)

• śiva-mandiram: Śiva’s abode/temple
• śiva-mandiram: Karma (कर्म/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुषसमासः (शिवस्य मन्दिरम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General promise of attainment: lifelong daily worship of a self-made earthen liṅga leads to ‘Śiva-mandira’—Śiva’s abode/realm, i.e., proximity culminating in liberation through grace (anugraha).

Significance: Affirms nitya-pūjā as a complete path: sustained devotion (bhakti) and regular worship (caryā/kriyā) mature into Śiva-sāyujya/sāmīpya language in Purāṇic idiom (‘Śiva-mandira’).

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It teaches that steady, lifelong devotion expressed through daily Śiva-pūjā—especially via the simple Pārthiva-liṅga—matures the soul (paśu) toward Śiva’s grace, culminating in attainment of Śiva’s abode and liberation-oriented nearness to Pati (the Lord).

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

The Pārthiva-liṅga is a Saguna support for worship: by honoring Śiva through the liṅga with regularity and reverence, the devotee’s mind becomes one-pointed, devotion deepens, and the Lord’s anugraha (grace) becomes the decisive cause of spiritual attainment.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Make a clean earthen (clay) liṅga and perform daily Śiva-pūjā with offerings (water, bilva leaves, etc.), ideally accompanied by japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” sustaining the practice consistently throughout life.