Shloka 1

शिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्

Narration of the Greatness of the Śiva-liṅga

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । गंगातीरे सुप्रसिद्धा काशी खलु विमुक्तिदा । सा हि लिंगमयी ज्ञेया शिववासस्थली स्मृता

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | gaṃgātīre suprasiddhā kāśī khalu vimuktidā | sā hi liṃgamayī jñeyā śivavāsasthalī smṛtā

Translation

Sūta said: On the bank of the Gaṅgā, the city of Kāśī is indeed renowned as the giver of liberation. It should be understood as pervaded by the Liṅga—Śiva’s sacred emblem—and is remembered as the very abode where Śiva dwells.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• गङ्गा-तीरे: on the bank of the Ganges
• गङ्गा-तीरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः तीरम्)

• सुप्रसिद्धा: very famous
• सुप्रसिद्धा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्रसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• काशी: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक (indeed)

• विमुक्ति-दा: giver of liberation
• विमुक्ति-दा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (विमुक्तिं ददाति इति)

• सा: she/that (Kāśī)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (for/indeed)

• लिङ्ग-मयी: consisting of the Liṅga / liṅga-formed
• लिङ्ग-मयी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट्/मयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (मयट्: ‘consisting of/filled with’)

• ज्ञेया: is to be known
• ज्ञेया: Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ज्ञातव्या’ (to be known)

• शिव-वास-स्थली: the abode-place of Śiva
• शिव-वास-स्थली: Predicate Noun (विधेय-संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य वासस्य स्थली)

• स्मृता: is called/remembered as
• स्मृता: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘said/remembered as’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kāśī on the Gaṅgā is proclaimed ‘vimuktidā’ (giver of liberation) and ‘liṅgamayī’ (pervaded by the Liṅga), remembered as Śiva’s own dwelling-place—grounding the Viśvanātha-kṣetra as a living embodiment of Śiva’s presence.

Significance: Kāśī-darśana is extolled as mokṣa-oriented: the kṣetra itself functions as a field of anugraha where bondage is loosened and liberation is made accessible.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganga
• Kashi

FAQs

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

It proclaims Kāśī as a mokṣa-kṣetra: a sacred space where Śiva’s grace is especially accessible, and where liberation is emphasized as the fruit of devotion and right orientation to Śiva (Pati) beyond bondage (pāśa).

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

By calling Kāśī “liṅgamayī,” the verse frames the city as saturated with Śiva’s Saguna presence through the Liṅga—making Liṅga-upāsanā (ritual worship and contemplative reverence) a direct means to approach Śiva’s liberating power.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Liṅga worship in Kāśī—offering water from the Gaṅgā, chanting the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), and meditating on Śiva as the indwelling Lord of the kṣetra—aligns with the verse’s teaching on liberation.