Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27

लिङ्ग-बेर-प्रतिष्ठाविधिः / The Procedure for Installing the Liṅga and the Bera

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Devanagari script

मूर्ध्नि मूलेन लिंगस्य शिवहस्तं प्रविन्यसेत् । शतमर्धं तदर्धं वा क्रमाद्द्रव्यैश्च सप्तभिः

Transliteration

mūrdhni mūlena liṃgasya śivahastaṃ pravinyaset | śatamardhaṃ tadardhaṃ vā kramāddravyaiśca saptabhiḥ

Translation

Placing the ‘Śiva-hand’ (the Śiva-mudrā/hand-gesture) upon the crown of the head, aligned with the base of the Liṅga, one should perform the rite in due order with the seven ritual substances—either a full hundred (offerings/recitations), or half of that, or again half thereof.

Word by Word

• mūrdhni: on the head/top
• mūrdhni: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• mūlena: with the root-mantra / by the root
• mūlena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• liṅgasya: of the liṅga
• liṅgasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• śiva-hastam: Śiva’s hand (hand-mark/gesture)
• śiva-hastam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (śivasya hastaḥ)

• pravinyaset: should place/arrange
• pravinyaset: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-वि-नि-

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (here as measure)

• ardham: half
• ardham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• tad: that
• tad: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (of that) / समासपूर्वपद; here in compound tad-ardham

• ardham: half
• ardham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; (in sense: that half)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• kramāt: in sequence
• kramāt: Kala/Prakara (प्रकार/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (in order/gradually)

• dravyaiḥ: with substances/materials
• dravyaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dravya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• saptabhiḥ: with seven
• saptabhiḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंस/पुं/स्त्री (सर्वलिङ्ग), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (qualifying dravyaiḥ)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It links outer worship (ordered offerings with sacred substances) to inner alignment—placing the Śiva-gesture at the crown signifies offering one’s highest consciousness to Pati (Shiva), the liberator of the bound soul (paśu) from bonds (pāśa).

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

The Liṅga is Saguna Shiva’s accessible support for devotion and concentration; aligning the worshipper’s crown with the Liṅga’s base symbolizes establishing Shiva’s presence in one’s own being while performing regulated, scriptural worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes a sequenced Linga-puja using seven consecrated substances, with a counted discipline (100, 50, or 25 cycles) alongside a Śiva-mudrā/hand-placement at the crown—supporting mantra-japa and focused meditation.