Shloka 11

Adhyaya 79 — Bhakti-Mahima and Linga-Archana-Vidhi

Condensed Ritual Sequence

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा देवं यथान्यायं प्रणिपत्य च शङ्करम् कल्पिते चासने स्थाप्य धर्मज्ञानमये शुभे

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā devaṃ yathānyāyaṃ praṇipatya ca śaṅkaram kalpite cāsane sthāpya dharmajñānamaye śubhe

Translation

Having beheld the Lord in the properly prescribed manner and bowing down to Śaṅkara, one should seat Him upon a duly prepared, auspicious seat—imbued with dharma and true knowledge—so that the bound soul (paśu), through right ritual and right understanding, may turn toward the Lord (Pati).

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen/beheld

• देवं: the Deva, the Lord

• यथान्यायं (यथा-न्यायम्): according to rule, as prescribed

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down, having prostrated

• च: and

• शङ्करम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)

• कल्पिते: prepared, arranged, fashioned

• च: and

• आसने: on the seat/throne

• स्थाप्य: having placed/installed (having seated)

• धर्मज्ञानमये (धर्म-ज्ञान-मये): consisting of dharma and spiritual knowledge

• शुभे: auspicious, благоприятный

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja procedure to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shankara

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It establishes the puja sequence: first proper darśana and namaskāra, then seating/installation—showing that Linga worship must be both scripturally correct (yathā-nyāya) and inwardly sanctified (dharma-jñāna).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is approached as Pati, the auspicious Śaṅkara, who is to be invoked not merely as an external icon but as the very ground of dharma and jñāna—purifying the paśu from pāśa through right alignment.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A core puja-vidhi element—āsana-sthāpana (seating the deity)—with the Shaiva emphasis that the ‘seat’ is symbolically dharma and jñāna, aligning ritual action with Pāśupata-style inner discipline.