Shloka 22

Pārthiva-Śiva-liṅga-māhātmya

The Excellence of the Earthen Śiva Liṅga

Devanagari script

जीवन्मुक्तः स वैज्ञानी शिव एव न संशयः । तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण भुक्तिर्मुक्तिश्च जायते

Transliteration

jīvanmuktaḥ sa vaijñānī śiva eva na saṃśayaḥ | tasya darśanamātreṇa bhuktirmuktiśca jāyate

Translation

That knower who is liberated while still living is verily Śiva Himself—of this there is no doubt. By the mere sight (darśana) of such a one, both worldly enjoyment (bhukti) and liberation (mukti) arise.

Word by Word

• jīvan-muktaḥ: liberated while living
• jīvan-muktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jīvat (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + mukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारयसमासः ‘जीवन् (while living) + मुक्तः’; mukta = past passive participle (क्त) from √muc (मोचने)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• vaijñānī: a knower; wise person
• vaijñānī: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agent noun ‘knower’

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• eva: indeed; alone
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle (निषेध)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/impersonal: ‘there is no doubt’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• darśana-mātreṇa: by mere seeing
• darśana-mātreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; तत्पुरुषसमासः (दर्शनस्य मात्रम् = mere seeing)

• bhuktiḥ: enjoyment; worldly fruition
• bhuktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• muktiḥ: liberation
• muktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• jāyate: arises; is obtained
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लṭ्), Ātmanepada; 3rd person singular (प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन); धातु: जन् (प्रादुर्भावे)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Shiva Purana teachings to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the true jñānī who has attained jīvanmukti is Śiva’s presence made manifest; contact with such realized holiness—especially through darśana—becomes a channel for Śiva’s grace, yielding both righteous worldly wellbeing (bhukti) and final liberation (mukti).

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

In the Vidyeśvarasaṃhitā, devotion to Saguna Śiva (especially through Liṅga worship and reverent darśana) is emphasized as a grace-bearing means. This verse extends that principle: the realized devotee/knower, being ‘Śiva-like’ through union in knowledge and purity, becomes a living focus of Śiva-darśana that confers spiritual fruits.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Seek darśana and satsanga of Śiva-bhaktas and jñānīs, and combine it with regular Liṅga-pūjā and japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), cultivating inner purity so that Śiva’s anugraha (grace) ripens into both bhukti and mukti.