Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 55

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

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Devanagari script

कुम्भैरीशानविद्यांतैः स्नापयेन्मूलविद्यया । ततः पञ्चकलान्यासं कृत्वा पूजां च पूर्ववत्

Transliteration

kumbhairīśānavidyāṃtaiḥ snāpayenmūlavidyayā | tataḥ pañcakalānyāsaṃ kṛtvā pūjāṃ ca pūrvavat

Translation

He should bathe (abhiṣeka) the Śiva-liṅga with water from pitchers, performing the rite with the Mūla-vidyā and concluding with the Īśāna-vidyā. Thereafter, having performed the nyāsa of the Five Kalās, he should carry out the worship as prescribed earlier.

Word by Word

• कुम्भैः: with pots (kumbhas)
• कुम्भैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• ईशान-विद्या-अन्तैः: with (the mantras) ending with the Īśāna-vidyā
• ईशान-विद्या-अन्तैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश-तत्पुरुष (ईशानविद्यायाः अन्ताः = ईशानविद्यान्ताः)

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; णिच् (causative) भावः

• मूल-विद्यया: with the root-vidyā (principal mantra)
• मूल-विद्यया: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; समासः: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (मूला विद्या)

• ततः: then
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/क्रम (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पञ्च-कला-न्यासम्: the nyāsa of the five kalās
• पञ्च-कला-न्यासम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; समासः: तत्पुरुष (पञ्चकलानां न्यासः)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल — Gerund/Absolutive (having done)

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

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

• पूर्ववत्: as before
• पूर्ववत्: रीति (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्ववत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘as before’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: kumbhairīśānavidyāṃtaiḥ snāpayenmūlavidyayā | tataḥ pañcakalānyāsaṃ kṛtvā pūjāṃ ca pūrvavat

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva worship is not merely external bathing and offerings, but a mantra-informed consecration: abhiṣeka purified by vidyā and nyāsa that aligns the worshipper’s consciousness with Śiva’s śakti (kalās), supporting Siddhānta’s path of purification (śuddhi) and grace (anugraha).

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

The liṅga is approached as Saguna Śiva for ritual engagement—bathed, invoked through specific vidyās, and installed with pañcakalā-nyāsa—so the devotee can relate to the Lord through form and mantra while moving toward inner realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes mantra-abhiṣeka using kumbhas (pitchers), followed by pañcakalā-nyāsa, and then continuing pūjā “as previously taught,” implying a structured liṅgārcana sequence grounded in mantra and inner placement (nyāsa).