Shloka 35

द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गावतारकथनम्

Account of the Twelve Jyotirliṅga Manifestations

Devanagari script

गौतमस्य प्रार्थनया ज्योतिर्लिंग स्वरूपतः । स्थितस्तत्राचलः प्रीत्या तन्मुनेः प्रीतिकाम्यया

Transliteration

gautamasya prārthanayā jyotirliṃga svarūpataḥ | sthitastatrācalaḥ prītyā tanmuneḥ prītikāmyayā

Translation

At Gautama’s earnest prayer, Lord Śiva—manifest as the Jyotirliṅga—remained established there, unmoving and gracious, out of loving delight, desiring to bestow joy upon that sage.

Word by Word

• gautamasya: of Gautama
• gautamasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• prārthanayā: by (his) prayer
• prārthanayā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prārthanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• jyotir-liṅga: Jyotirliṅga (liṅga of light)
• jyotir-liṅga: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘ज्योतिषः लिङ्गम्’ (liṅga of light); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• svarūpataḥ: in the form of / as
• svarūpataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तस्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘स्वरूपतः’ = ‘in the form/as the very nature’

• sthitaḥ: stood / remained established
• sthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत्-क्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (he) ‘remained/was established’

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: there)

• acalaḥ: immovable / steadfast
• acalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (immovable/steadfast)

• prītyā: with affection / out of love
• prītyā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (तस्य = of that)

• muneḥ: sage
• muneḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• prīti-kāmyayā: by the desire to please (the sage)
• prīti-kāmyayā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (object-determinative) ‘प्रीतिं कामयते इति/यया’ (desire for affection); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tryambakeśvara

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Tryambakeśvara

Sthala Purana: Śiva, pleased by Gautama’s supplication, abides ‘acala’ as Jyotirliṅga—signifying stable divine presence (sannidhya) at the Gautamī bank for the uplift of devotees.

Significance: Emphasizes liṅga-sannidhya: the Lord remains accessible for repeated darśana and worship; the kṣetra becomes a standing conduit of grace for bhukti and mukti.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Gautama
• Jyotirlinga

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere bhakti and prayer can draw Śiva’s anugraha (grace): the Lord freely chooses to remain present as the Jyotirliṅga for the devotee’s upliftment, showing Pati’s compassion toward the pious soul.

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

Śiva appears here in a worship-accessible saguna form—the Jyotirliṅga—so devotees can approach the transcendent (nirguṇa) reality through a tangible, consecrated presence that anchors devotion, pūjā, and pilgrimage.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests steadfast Jyotirliṅga worship with heartfelt prayer—daily abhiṣeka, japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), and contemplative remembrance of Śiva’s luminous presence established for the devotee’s good.