Shloka 27

शिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्

Narration of the Greatness of the Śiva-liṅga

Devanagari script

नागेश्वरस्तु कौशिक्यास्तीरे तिष्ठति नित्यशः । अनन्तेश्वरसंज्ञश्च कल्याणशुभभाजनः

Transliteration

nāgeśvarastu kauśikyāstīre tiṣṭhati nityaśaḥ | ananteśvarasaṃjñaśca kalyāṇaśubhabhājanaḥ

Translation

Nāgeśvara abides eternally on the bank of the Kauśikī river. He is also known as Ananteśvara—the abode and bestower of auspiciousness and spiritual welfare.

Word by Word

• नागेश्वरः: Nāgeśvara (Lord of serpents)
• नागेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नागानाम् ईश्वरः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• कौशिक्याः: of (the river) Kauśikī
• कौशिक्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तिष्ठति: stands/abides
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नित्यशः: constantly
• नित्यशः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यशः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always/constantly)

• अनन्तेश्वरसंज्ञः: named ‘Ananteśvara’
• अनन्तेश्वरसंज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त-ईश्वर-संज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अनन्तेश्वर इति संज्ञा यस्य) विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कल्याणशुभभाजनः: abode of auspicious welfare and good
• कल्याणशुभभाजनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्याण-शुभ-भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कल्याणं च शुभं च तयोः भाजनः/आश्रयः) विशेषणम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Pashupatinatha

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Nageshvara

Sthala Purana: Here Nāgeśvara is localized on the bank of the Kauśikī and praised as Ananteśvara (‘Lord of the Infinite’), emphasizing Śiva’s protective, auspicious presence associated with nāgas and boundless grace.

Significance: Promises kalyāṇa and śubha—welfare and auspiciousness—through darśana, snāna at the riverbank, and liṅga worship; also protective merit against fear/poison symbolism of serpents.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Nageshvara
• Ananteshvara
• Kauśikī (river)

FAQs

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

The verse anchors the presence of Śiva as Nāgeśvara in a sacred geography and affirms Him as Ananteśvara—the Infinite Lord—indicating that approaching this Linga with devotion leads to kalyāṇa (spiritual welfare) and śubha (auspicious upliftment) by the grace of Pati (the Lord).

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

By naming a specific Linga-presence (Nāgeśvara) and its sacred location, the text supports Saguna worship—Śiva compassionately accessible through the Linga—while the epithet Ananteśvara points to His Nirguna-infinitude underlying the manifest form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Linga-darśana and simple abhiṣeka with water while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating remembrance of Śiva as Ananta (the Infinite) and praying for kalyāṇa and śubha.