Shloka 24

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhāvidhiḥ — Installation Standards and Auspicious Parameters for Liṅga Worship

Devanagari script

एवं स्थाप्य महालिंगं पूजयेदुपचारकैः । नित्यपूजा यथा शक्तिध्वजादिकरणं तथा

Transliteration

evaṃ sthāpya mahāliṃgaṃ pūjayedupacārakaiḥ | nityapūjā yathā śaktidhvajādikaraṇaṃ tathā

Translation

Thus, having duly installed the great Liṅga, one should worship it with the prescribed offerings and ritual services (upacāras). One should perform the daily worship in proper order, and likewise arrange the Śakti-flag, banner, and other customary adjuncts, according to one’s capacity and the rule.

Word by Word

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारार्थक अव्यय)

• sthāpya: having स्थापित/established
• sthāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्) from causative sense ‘to establish’ (स्थापयित्वा)

• mahā-liṅgam: the great liṅga
• mahā-liṅgam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय ‘great liṅga’

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (पूज् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• upacārakaiḥ: with offerings/attendant services
• upacārakaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upacāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nitya-pūjā: daily worship
• nitya-pūjā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय ‘daily worship’

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (यथा-तथा सम्बन्ध)

• śakti-dhvaja-ādi-karaṇam: the making/arrangement of śakti-flag etc.
• śakti-dhvaja-ādi-karaṇam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) or Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); here nominative as parallel item; तत्पुरुष ‘karaṇa of śakti, dhvaja, etc.’ (ādi = etc.)

• tathā: so / likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Correlative particle (यथा-तथा)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: In the Viśveśvara-kṣetra (Kāśī), Śiva is praised as the ever-present Lord granting liberation; liṅga-pūjā and proper upacāras are taught as the accessible means for bound souls to receive His grace.

Significance: Darśana and pūjā of Viśveśvara are classically held to confer mokṣa/śivapada through Śiva’s anugraha, especially when worship is performed daily with niyama.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It teaches that devotion becomes steady and transformative when grounded in regular, rule-based daily worship (nitya-pūjā) after proper installation (sthāpana) of the Liṅga—honoring Shiva as the accessible Saguna form who grants purity and liberation.

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

The Liṅga is presented as the concrete, worshipful presence of Shiva; the verse emphasizes upacāras (ritual services) and orderly daily practice, which are central to Saguna upāsanā that ripens into inner realization of Shiva’s transcendent nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform daily Liṅga-pūjā with traditional upacāras (such as offering water, flowers, incense, lamp) and maintain the temple/altar adjuncts (dhvaja, śakti-symbol, etc.); mentally, sustain reverent remembrance of Shiva alongside the external rite.