Shloka 160

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

पूजया चरलिंगस्य क्रमान्मुक्तो भवेद्ध्रुवम् । सर्वमुक्तं समासेन साध्यसाधनमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

pūjayā caraliṃgasya kramānmukto bhaveddhruvam | sarvamuktaṃ samāsena sādhyasādhanamuttamam

Translation

By the worship of the movable Liṅga (cara-liṅga), one certainly becomes liberated—gradually and in due order. Thus, in brief, everything has been stated: the supreme means and the supreme goal.

Word by Word

• पूजया: by worship
• पूजया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• चर: moving/portable
• चर: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (लिङ्गस्य इत्यस्य विशेषण-पूर्वपद)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• क्रमात्: in order/gradually
• क्रमात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ/क्रमेण (in due order)

• मुक्तः: liberated
• मुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (PPP) from मुच्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Nishchaya (निश्चय/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative: certainly)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उक्तम्: has been stated
• उक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘has been said’

• समासेन: briefly
• समासेन: Prakaraṇa (प्रकरण/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भावे तृतीया-एकवचन (instrumental used adverbially: in brief)

• साध्य: the goal (to be accomplished)
• साध्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (साधनम् इत्यनेन समाहार-द्वन्द्वे पूर्वपद)

• साधनम्: means (and goal)
• साधनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (साध्यं च साधनं च)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; साध्यसाधनम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga legend; it teaches that worship of a ‘cara-liṅga’ (portable/personal liṅga) yields krama-mukti—liberation in stages—by sustained practice.

Significance: Validates household and itinerant devotion: even without fixed temple access, personal liṅga-pūjā is declared a complete sādhana leading to mokṣa.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It declares that sincere Liṅga-pūjā—especially personal, daily worship—becomes a direct cause for liberation, unfolding progressively as the soul (paśu) is purified and drawn to Śiva (Pati).

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

The verse affirms Saguna upāsanā through the Liṅga as an effective, accessible means: devotion expressed in ritual worship leads the devotee from disciplined practice toward realization of Śiva’s highest state.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular cara-liṅga worship—daily pūjā with mantra-japa (commonly the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), offerings, and reverent discipline—performed steadily “in sequence” as a sustained sādhana.