Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

समाधौ मानसं प्रोक्तमुपांशु सार्वकालिकम् । समानप्रणवं चेमं बिंदुनादयुतं विदुः

Transliteration

samādhau mānasaṃ proktamupāṃśu sārvakālikam | samānapraṇavaṃ cemaṃ biṃdunādayutaṃ viduḥ

Translation

In samādhi, mental repetition (mānasa-japa) is declared the proper mode; whispered repetition (upāṃśu-japa) is suitable at all times. Know this japa to be united with the same Praṇava, “Oṃ,” and endowed with bindu and nāda—the subtle seed and the inner sound.

Word by Word

• समाधौ: in samādhi
• समाधौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative Singular)

• मानसम्: mental (silent, of the mind)
• मानसम्: कर्म/विधेय-विशेषण (Object/Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom./Acc. Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• उपांशु: in a whisper / softly
• उपांशु: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपांशु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: in a low voice/whispering)

• सार्वकालिकम्: at all times / perennial
• सार्वकालिकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-कालिक (प्रातिपदिक); सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषु कालेषु भवम्)

• समानप्रणवम्: having the same praṇava (Oṃ)
• समानप्रणवम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘इमम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान-प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक); समान (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular); कर्मधारयः (समानः प्रणवः)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• बिंदुनादयुतम्: endowed with bindu and nāda
• बिंदुनादयुतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘इमम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिंदु-नाद-युत (प्रातिपदिक); बिंदु (प्रातिपदिक) + नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बिंदु-नादाभ्यां युतम् = endowed with bindu and nāda)

• विदुः: they know / they consider
• विदुः: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष-बहुवचन (3rd person plural)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It ranks mantra-recitation by subtlety: in samādhi, japa becomes purely mental, leading the seeker inward toward Śiva as Pati (the Lord) through concentrated awareness and the inner current of sound (nāda).

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

It supports external worship (saguna upāsanā) by refining it into internal worship: the Praṇava and japa, begun before the Liṅga, mature into inner absorption where Śiva is realized beyond form while still approached through His mantra.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice upāṃśu-japa at any time for steadiness, and cultivate mānasa-japa during meditation; keep the mantra joined to Oṃ, listening inwardly for nāda while holding the bindu-like one-pointed focus.