Shloka 31

शिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्

Narration of the Greatness of the Śiva-liṅga

Devanagari script

दक्षिणस्यां दिशि तथा शिवलिंगानि यानि च । संजातानि मुनिश्रेष्ठ तानि ते कथयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

dakṣiṇasyāṃ diśi tathā śivaliṃgāni yāni ca | saṃjātāni muniśreṣṭha tāni te kathayāmyaham

Translation

O best of sages, I shall now tell you about those Śiva-liṅgas as well that manifested in the southern direction.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणस्याम्: in the southern (direction)
• दक्षिणस्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• शिवलिङ्गानि: Śiva-liṅgas
• शिवलिङ्गानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृ/उद्देश्य-निर्देश (topic)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• संजातानि: arisen/produced
• संजातानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+जन् (धातु) → संजात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifies शिवलिङ्गानि)

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्म

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (dative-like sense: 'to you' is usually चतुर्थी, but here genitive enclitic 'te' often used for 'for you/to you')

• कथयामि: I tell/narrate
• कथयामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: A transition verse: Sūta announces the forthcoming account of liṅgas manifested in the southern quarter. The ‘dakṣiṇa’ cue naturally resonates with the teaching aspect (Dakṣiṇāmūrti), though the verse itself is primarily organizational.

Significance: Encourages systematic kṣetra-smaraṇa (remembering sacred sites) as a devotional practice; southward orientation also evokes guru/teaching symbolism in Śaiva traditions.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sages (Munis)

FAQs

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

It introduces a directional catalog of manifested Śiva-liṅgas, emphasizing that Śiva’s grace becomes accessible through specific sacred seats (liṅgas) that arise for the uplift of devotees and for pilgrimage-based purification.

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

By speaking of liṅgas that “manifest,” the text highlights Saguna worship: the formless (Nirguṇa) Śiva is approached through the consecrated, worshipable form of the liṅga, which serves as a focal support for devotion, abhiṣeka, and mantra-japa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to engage in liṅga-pūjā with pañcākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and abhiṣeka, and—where possible—undertake pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā) to the renowned southern liṅga-sthalas with a disciplined, devotional mind.