Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 12

लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा-माहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of Liṅga Installation

Devanagari script

अनेन लिंगतां तस्य भवेन्नान्येन केनचित् । लिंगं च शिवयोर्देहस्ताभ्यां यस्मादधिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

anena liṃgatāṃ tasya bhavennānyena kenacit | liṃgaṃ ca śivayordehastābhyāṃ yasmādadhiṣṭhitam

Translation

Par cela seul il atteint l’état de Liṅga, et par nul autre moyen. Car le Liṅga est le corps même de Śiva (et de Śakti), puisqu’il est établi et habité par Eux deux.

Word by Word

• anena: by this
• anena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• liṅgatām: the state of being a liṅga
• liṅgatām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅgatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavet: would be; may become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Verb (तिङन्त), Potential/Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

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

• anyena: by another
• anyena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kenacit: by anyone/anything whatsoever
• kenacit: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cit (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); indefinite pronoun (अनिश्चित)

• liṅgam: the liṅga
• liṅgam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• śivayoḥ: of Śiva and (his counterpart)
• śivayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन)

• dehaḥ: body
• dehaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tābhyām: by those two
• tābhyām: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (तृतीया), Dual (द्विवचन)

• yasmāt: because of which; from which
• yasmāt: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablatival relative form used adverbially (यस्-प्रातिपदिक, पञ्चमी-एकवचन-अर्थे)

• adhiṣṭhitam: presided over; inhabited; established
• adhiṣṭhitam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhi-√sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kridanta past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Ardhanārīśvara

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General liṅga-doctrine: liṅga is not merely a symbol but the ‘deha’ (body/locus) of Śiva with Śakti—hence worthy of worship as the indwelt presence.

Significance: Establishes the theological basis for liṅga-upāsanā: worship of the liṅga is direct worship of Śiva-Śakti, leading toward grace (anugraha).

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It declares that the Liṅga is not a mere symbol but a sanctified embodiment—made truly “Liṅga” only when established as the living seat (adhiṣṭhāna) of Śiva together with Śakti, pointing the devotee toward Pati (the Lord) as the indwelling Reality.

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

It supports Saguna worship by affirming that Śiva is approachable through a consecrated form: the Liṅga becomes the divine body/seat because Śiva-Śakti abide in it, making external worship a valid doorway to inner realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (proper consecration) and daily Liṅga-pūjā with focused bhāvanā—meditating that Śiva and Śakti indwell the Liṅga—so the rite becomes both worship and inner yoga.