Shloka 1

द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गावतारकथनम्

Account of the Twelve Jyotirliṅga Manifestations

Devanagari script

नन्दीश्वर उवाच । अवताराञ्छृणु विभोर्द्वादशप्रमितान्परान् । ज्योतिर्लिङ्गस्वरूपान्वै नानोति कारकान्मुने

Transliteration

nandīśvara uvāca | avatārāñchṛṇu vibhordvādaśapramitānparān | jyotirliṅgasvarūpānvai nānoti kārakānmune

Translation

Nandīśvara said: “O sage, hear of the Supreme Lord’s exalted incarnate manifestations, twelve in number—indeed, those very forms that appear as Jyotirliṅgas, bringing about many kinds of divine effects.”

Word by Word

• नन्दीश्वरः: Nandīśvara
• नन्दीश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘said’

• अवतारान्: incarnations
• अवतारान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — ‘hear’

• विभोः: of the Lord
• विभोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of the Lord’

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; here as compound-member ‘twelve’

• प्रमितान्: numbered/measured
• प्रमितान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘measured/numbered’

• परान्: supreme
• परान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘supreme/excellent’

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘light’ (समासाङ्ग)

• लिङ्ग: liṅga
• लिङ्ग: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘liṅga’ (समासाङ्ग)

• स्वरूपान्: having the nature/form
• स्वरूपान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः — ‘having the form/nature’

• वै: indeed
• वै: N/A (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नानोत्: various
• नानोत्: N/A (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नानोत् (अव्यय)
• Form: पाठभेद/सन्ध्यन्त-रूपम्; सम्भाव्यं ‘नानाति/नानाविध’ इत्यर्थे अव्ययप्रयोगः — ‘various’

• कारकान्: causal factors / agents
• कारकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘agents/causal factors’

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — address

Speaker

Nandishvara (Nandi)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Nandishvara (Nandi)

FAQs

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

This verse introduces Shiva’s supreme compassion expressed through twelve Jyotirlinga-form manifestations—accessible, worshipful revelations of the transcendent Lord that grant varied spiritual and worldly benefits and support the devotee’s path toward liberation.

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

By naming Shiva’s manifestations as “Jyotirlinga-svarūpa,” the verse frames the Linga as Saguna-accessible worship of the otherwise limitless Lord—light-form (jyotis) made present for devotion, pilgrimage, and grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A key takeaway is focused Jyotirlinga-bhakti: hearing (śravaṇa) their glory, meditating on Shiva as the indwelling light, and performing Linga-pūjā with mantra—especially the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as one proceeds through the twelve sacred manifestations.