Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 24

लिङ्ग-बेर-प्रतिष्ठाविधिः / The Procedure for Installing the Liṅga and the Bera

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Devanagari script

जुहुयुस्ते विरंच्याद्याश्चतस्रो मूर्तयः स्मृताः । दैशिकः प्रथमं तेषामैशान्यां पश्चिमे ऽथ वा

Transliteration

juhuyuste viraṃcyādyāścatasro mūrtayaḥ smṛtāḥ | daiśikaḥ prathamaṃ teṣāmaiśānyāṃ paścime 'tha vā

Translation

Les formes commençant par Virañci (Brahmā) sont rappelées comme quatre aspects manifestés, et elles accomplissent l’oblation au feu. Parmi elles, la Daiśika—forme directrice et initiatrice—est la première : qu’on la place/l’honore au nord-est, ou bien à l’ouest.

Word by Word

• juhuyuḥ: they offered (oblations)
• juhuyuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hu (हु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• te: they/those
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• virañci-ādyāḥ: (those) beginning with Virañci (Brahmā)
• virañci-ādyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virañci (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘विरञ्चिः आदिः येषाम्’ = beginning with Virañci/Brahmā)

• catasraḥ: four
• catasraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catasṛ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक; विशेषणम् (to mūrtayaḥ)

• mūrtayaḥ: forms
• mūrtayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• smṛtāḥ: are said/recorded
• smṛtāḥ: Kriyā (verbal predicate/क्रियासमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ) ; smṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विधेय-विशेषणम् (‘are said/remembered’)

• daiśikaḥ: the officiant/teacher (daiśika)
• daiśikaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiśika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prathamam: first
• prathamam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण; नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया रूपम्, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘first’)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• aiśānyām: in the northeast (direction)
• aiśānyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन (direction: northeast)

• paścime: in the west
• paścime: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन (direction: west)

• atha: then/else
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/विकल्पप्रस्तावार्थक (then/else)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/option)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that worship is not merely external action: the rite must be guided by the proper initiatory principle (daiśika), aligning the practitioner with Īśāna (the north-east, Shiva’s auspicious direction) so the offering becomes a means toward Shiva-realization rather than mere ritualism.

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

By prescribing placement/order (north-east or west) and a foremost ‘guiding’ form, the verse reflects Saguna Shiva worship where the Linga and its directional/ritual supports are arranged to mirror cosmic order, making the devotee’s offering a disciplined approach to Pati (Shiva).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A homa (oblations into sacred fire) performed under proper guidance (dīkṣā/ācārya principle), with attention to Īśāna orientation; as a meditative takeaway, one may mentally invoke Īśāna Shiva in the north-east before mantra-japa to ‘lead’ the practice.