Shloka 2

द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गावतारकथनम्

Account of the Twelve Jyotirliṅga Manifestations

Devanagari script

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथश्च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनः । उज्जयिन्यां महाकाल ओंकारे चामरेश्वरः

Transliteration

saurāṣṭre somanāthaśca śrīśaile mallikārjunaḥ | ujjayinyāṃ mahākāla oṃkāre cāmareśvaraḥ

Translation

En Saurāṣṭra, Il est Somnātha ; sur Śrīśaila, Mallikārjuna ; à Ujjayinī, Mahākāla ; et à Oṃkāra, Āmareśvara — Śiva, l’unique Seigneur, qui par grâce se manifeste en ces formes sacrées pour l’élévation des dévots.

Word by Word

• सौराष्ट्रे: in Saurashtra
• सौराष्ट्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सोमनाथः: Somanatha
• सोमनाथः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• श्रीशैले: on/in Śrīśaila
• श्रीशैले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीशैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मल्लिकार्जुनः: Mallikārjuna
• मल्लिकार्जुनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्लिकार्जुन (प्रातिपदिक; मल्लिका + अर्जुन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उज्जयिन्याम्: in Ujjayinī
• उज्जयिन्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उज्जयिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक; महा + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• ओंकारे: at Oṃkāra
• ओंकारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अमरेश्वरः: Amareśvara
• अमरेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; अमर + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Somanātha

Sthala Purana: Soma (the Moon) is restored from dakṣa-śāpa through Śiva’s grace; Śiva becomes ‘Somanātha’, establishing the sanctity of the kṣetra.

Significance: Remedy for afflictions, restoration of vitality and auspiciousness; merit of darśana and abhiṣeka at a primordial liṅga-kṣetra.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Somnath
• Mallikarjuna
• Mahakala
• Amareshvara

FAQs

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

It proclaims Shiva’s compassionate, accessible manifestations in specific holy sites, teaching that the one Pati (Lord) becomes knowable through saguna forms so devotees can awaken devotion, receive grace, and move toward liberation.

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

The named forms are worshiped as revered Shiva-presences (commonly approached as Jyotirlinga manifestations), where the formless reality is honored through a concrete, worshipable emblem—Shiva as saguna, granting darśana and blessings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Pilgrimage or inward “tīrtha-smaraṇa” (remembrance) with japa of the Panchākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and simple linga-pūjā (water, bilva leaves), supported by purity practices like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) where customary.