Shloka 18

Umāyāḥ Kriyāyoga-Rahasya

The Esoteric Teaching on Umā’s Kriyāyoga

Devanagari script

सर्वदेवेषु सा मुख्या यस्तस्याः कारयेद्गृहम् । प्रतिष्ठां समवाप्नोति स च जन्म निजन्मनि

Transliteration

sarvadeveṣu sā mukhyā yastasyāḥ kārayedgṛham | pratiṣṭhāṃ samavāpnoti sa ca janma nijanmani

Translation

Entre todas las deidades, Ella es la suprema. Quien haga edificar para Ella un templo, morada sagrada, alcanza honra y renombre; y nacimiento tras nacimiento seguirá recibiendo tal estima.

Word by Word

• sarvadeveṣu: among all gods
• sarvadeveṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location-domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti, Bahuvacana; Karmadhāraya: sarve devāḥ = ‘all gods’ (locative plural ‘among all gods’)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• mukhyā: chief/primary
• mukhyā: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; predicate adjective

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti, Ekavacana

• kārayet: causes (to be) made / should have made
• kārayet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (Imperative/लोट्) or Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्) form in usage; Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; causative (णिच्) ‘cause to be made’

• gṛham: a house/temple (shrine)
• gṛham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• pratiṣṭhām: renown/established status
• pratiṣṭhām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• samavāpnoti: attains
• samavāpnoti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; upasarga: sam-ava-

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

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

• janma: birth
• janma: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; used adverbially with nijanmani (‘birth after birth’)

• nijanmani: in (his) own birth / in each birth
• nijanmani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location-time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ni + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Saptamī vibhakti, Ekavacana; ni- as prefix in pratipadika; locative ‘in (his) own birth’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Merit statement (phalaśruti-like) for building a shrine to the Goddess; aligns with Purāṇic temple-foundation merit rather than a specific jyotirliṅga legend.

Significance: Temple-building for Devī yields pratiṣṭhā (social-spiritual eminence) across births; in Siddhānta terms, it supports caryā/kriyā that purify pāśa and invite grace.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that honoring the supreme Goddess (Śiva’s Śakti) through establishing her sacred abode is a powerful act of dharma that yields lasting merit and respected standing, echoing the Shaiva view that grace flows through devoted service (seva) to the divine.

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

In Shaiva Siddhanta, Śiva is worshiped as Pati together with Śakti; building a shrine for the Goddess supports Saguna worship and complements Linga devotion by honoring the inseparable Śiva–Śakti principle central to Shiva Purana practice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is temple-seva: sponsoring or supporting construction/maintenance of a Devi shrine, followed by regular pūjā with purity, mantra-japa (such as Om Namaḥ Śivāya alongside Devi mantras), and offerings performed with devotion.