Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27

पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow

Devanagari script

पूजनीयो महादेवो लिंगमूर्तिस्सनातनः । पद्ममष्टदलं हैमं नवरत्नैरलंकृतम्

Transliteration

pūjanīyo mahādevo liṃgamūrtissanātanaḥ | padmamaṣṭadalaṃ haimaṃ navaratnairalaṃkṛtam

Translation

Mahādeva, l’Éternel dont la forme est le Liṅga, est digne d’adoration. Pour Son culte, qu’on offre un lotus d’or à huit pétales, orné des neuf gemmes.

Word by Word

• pūjanīyaḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjanīyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjanīya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा) Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); Gerundive (तव्यत्/नीयत्-प्रत्ययार्थः) ‘to be worshipped’

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva
• mahādevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (mahān devaḥ)

• liṅga-mūrtiḥ: the form of the liṅga
• liṅga-mūrtiḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Appositional/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga + mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (liṅgasya mūrtiḥ)

• sanātanaḥ: eternal
• sanātanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; adjective qualifying mahādevaḥ/liṅga-mūrtiḥ

• padmam: lotus
• padmam: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom/Acc) Ekavacana; here as head of description of āsana (implicit)

• aṣṭa-dalam: eight-petalled
• aṣṭa-dalam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa + dala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā Ekavacana; द्विगु-समासः ‘having eight petals’

• haimam: golden
• haimam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: haima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā Ekavacana; agrees with padmam

• nava-ratnaiḥ: with nine gems
• nava-ratnaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया) Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); द्विगु ‘with nine gems’

• alaṃkṛtam: adorned
• alaṃkṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alaṃkṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ with alam- prefix)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā Ekavacana; Past Passive Participle (क्त/कृत)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents the Liṅga as Mahādeva’s eternal, worship-worthy form—guiding the soul (paśu) to approach Pati through reverent, beauty-filled devotion that purifies bonds (pāśa) and turns the mind toward liberation.

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

It explicitly affirms Liṅga-mūrti worship as valid and primary: Saguna worship—offering a sacred lotus and precious adornments—stabilizes devotion and concentration, preparing the seeker to realize Shiva beyond attributes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Liṅga-pūjā with a lotus (ideally aṣṭadala) as an offering; while offering, maintain one-pointed remembrance of Mahādeva and recite the Panchākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as the inner act of worship.