Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

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

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Devanagari script

तेषां दशोपचाराणां पूर्वं पूज्य १ विनायकम् । स्थानशुद्ध्यादिकं कृत्वालिंगं स्नानालयं नयेत्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ daśopacārāṇāṃ pūrvaṃ pūjya 1 vināyakam | sthānaśuddhyādikaṃ kṛtvāliṃgaṃ snānālayaṃ nayet

Translation

Parmi les dix services rituels (daśopacāras), qu’on vénère d’abord Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa). Ensuite, après avoir purifié le lieu et accompli les rites afférents, qu’on conduise le Śiva-liṅga vers l’aire du bain pour son ablution sacrée (abhiṣeka).

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of those/of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दशोपचाराणाम्: of the ten offerings
• दशोपचाराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (दश उपचाराः), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावे)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: first/before)

• पूज्य: having worshipped / worship (as required)
• पूज्य: Kriya (क्रिया-अनुक्रम/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/absolutive sense: ‘to be worshipped’ → here: ‘having worshipped’ in instruction style), अव्ययार्थे प्रयोग

• विनायकम्: Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• विनायकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्थानशुद्ध्यादिकम्: site-purification and the like
• स्थानशुद्ध्यादिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थानशुद्धि + आदि + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्थानशुद्धिः आदिः यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया-अनुक्रम/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having done’

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga (Śiva emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्नानालयम्: to the bathing place
• स्नानालयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्नानस्य आलयः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नयेत्: should lead/take
• नयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, तृतीया-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Highlights the Siddhānta principle of vighna-nivṛtti (removal of obstacles) as a prerequisite to successful Śiva-kriyā; worship of Vināyaka safeguards the rite and supports its fruit.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Ganesha
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva-worship should be performed with ordered reverence: obstacles are cleared by honoring Vināyaka first, and inner/outer purity is established through place-purification before approaching the liṅga for abhiṣeka.

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

The liṅga is treated as the accessible (saguṇa) focus for devotion and ritual; moving it to the bathing place indicates the centrality of abhiṣeka as a sacred, embodied way to serve Śiva while maintaining ritual sanctity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Begin with Gaṇeśa-pūjā, perform sthāna-śuddhi (cleaning/sanctifying the worship space), then proceed to liṅga-snān/abhiṣeka—ideally accompanied by japa such as the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya).