Shloka 23

द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गावतारकथनम्

Account of the Twelve Jyotirliṅga Manifestations

Devanagari script

केदारेशोवतारस्तु पंचमः परमश्शिवः । ज्योतिर्लिंगस्वरूपेण केदारे संस्थितस्य च

Transliteration

kedāreśovatārastu paṃcamaḥ paramaśśivaḥ | jyotirliṃgasvarūpeṇa kedāre saṃsthitasya ca

Translation

The fifth manifestation is Kedāreśa—Paramashiva Himself—who abides at Kedāra in the very form of the Jyotirliṅga, the Liṅga of divine light.

Word by Word

• केदारेश: Lord of Kedāra
• केदारेश: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular; ‘केदारस्य ईशः’

• अवतारः: incarnation
• अवतारः: कर्ता (Subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular (apposition)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध-निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/particle (but/indeed)

• पंचमः: fifth
• पंचमः: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ordinal adjective ‘fifth’

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — adjective ‘supreme’

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: समास-पूर्वपद (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — compound member

• लिङ्ग: liṅga
• लिङ्ग: समास-अन्त्यपद (Compound head)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — in compound ‘ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग’

• स्वरूपेण: in the form (as)
• स्वरूपेण: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular; ‘ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग-स्वरूपेण’ = ‘in the form of the Jyotirliṅga’

• केदारे: at Kedāra
• केदारे: अधिकरण (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — locative singular (at Kedāra)

• संस्थितस्य: of (him) abiding/established
• संस्थितस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु with सम्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) used adjectivally ‘of the one who is established/abiding’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/ conjunction (and)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha

Sthala Purana: Kedāreśa is proclaimed as the fifth manifestation: Paramaśiva abiding at Kedāra as Jyotirliṅga. In wider Purāṇic/itihāsa tradition, the Pāṇḍavas seek Śiva’s absolution; Śiva eludes them as a bull and later grants darśana, establishing presence at Kedāra.

Significance: Kedāranātha darśana is famed for pāpa-kṣaya, ancestral uplift, and mokṣa-oriented merit; a high-tapas pilgrimage associated with renunciation and Śiva’s grace.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Parvati

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kedaresha
• Jyotirlinga

FAQs

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

It identifies Kedāreśa as Paramashiva manifesting as a Jyotirliṅga, teaching that the Supreme (beyond form) compassionately becomes worshipable as the luminous Linga to grant grace and liberation to devotees.

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

By stating that Shiva is “jyotirliṅga-svarūpa,” the verse affirms Saguna-upāsanā: devotees approach the transcendent Shiva through the consecrated Linga-form, where divine presence is especially accessible at Kedāra.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Pilgrimage and darśana of the Kedāra Jyotirliṅga with Panchākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and Linga-pūjā (abhisheka with water) are the core takeaways aligned with Shaiva devotion.