Shloka 48

पार्थिवार्चाविधिः | Pārthivārcā-vidhi

Procedure for the Earthen Liṅga Worship

Devanagari script

मृदाहरणसंघट्टप्रतिष्ठाह्वानमेव च । स्नपनं पूजनं चैव क्षमस्वेति विसर्जनम्

Transliteration

mṛdāharaṇasaṃghaṭṭapratiṣṭhāhvānameva ca | snapanaṃ pūjanaṃ caiva kṣamasveti visarjanam

Translation

„(Dies sind die Riten:) den heiligen Lehm sammeln, ihn bereiten und (das Zeichen) formen, es aufrichten und (den Herrn darin) anrufen; sodann es baden und verehren; und schließlich die Entlassung mit dem Gebet: ‚Vergib (die Fehler)‘, und das ehrerbietige Verabschieden.“

Word by Word

• मृद्-आहरण-संघट्ट-प्रतिष्ठा-आह्वानम्: bringing clay, kneading, installation, and invocation (as a set)
• मृद्-आहरण-संघट्ट-प्रतिष्ठा-आह्वानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + आहरण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + संघट्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक) + आह्वान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व-समासः (पञ्चानां कर्मणां समाहारः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'the set of: bringing clay, kneading/compacting, establishing, invocation'

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• स्नपनम्: bathing/ablution
• स्नपनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; action noun

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; action noun

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis)

• क्षमस्व: forgive
• क्षमस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; 'forgive!'

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• विसर्जनम्: dismissal; concluding release
• विसर्जनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विसर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; action noun

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Codifying the rite turns ordinary matter (clay) into a locus of grace; the sequence is itself a ‘path’ for the bound soul to move from concealment (tirodhāna) to purification and readiness for anugraha.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: kṣamasva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It outlines a complete arc of devotion—preparation, invocation, consecration, worship, and humble closure—showing that worship is both disciplined action and surrendered repentance, aligning the devotee with Shiva as Pati (the Lord) through reverent Saguna practice.

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

The verse explicitly lists core components of Linga worship: forming/arranging the worship-support, establishing the Linga, invoking Shiva’s presence (āhvāna), performing abhiṣeka (snapana), offering pūjā, and concluding with apology and visarjana—typical of Saguna upāsanā where the formless is approached through a consecrated form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to perform Linga abhiṣeka (snapana) and pūjā with mindful invocation and a concluding kṣamā-prārthanā (“kṣamasva”)—a meditative humility acknowledging human limitation while maintaining devotion and ritual purity.