Shloka 28

स्वेच्छाविग्रहसंभव-प्रतिष्ठाफलवर्णनम् (विविधशिवमूर्तिप्रतिष्ठा, लोक-फल, शिवसायुज्य)

Devanagari script

कपालहस्तं देवेशं कृष्णकुञ्चितमूर्धजम् कृत्वा भक्त्या प्रतिष्ठाप्य शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

kapālahastaṃ deveśaṃ kṛṣṇakuñcitamūrdhajam kṛtvā bhaktyā pratiṣṭhāpya śivasāyujyamāpnuyāt

Translation

કપાલહસ્ત દેવેશ, કૃષ્ણ કુંચિત કેશધારી શિવને ભક્તિપૂર્વક રચી પ્રતિષ્ઠાપિત કરનાર શિવ-સાયુજ્ય (પરમ એકત્વ) પ્રાપ્ત કરે છે।

Word by Word

• kapāla-hastam: holding a skull in the hand

• deva-īśam: the Lord of the gods

• kṛṣṇa-kuñcita-mūrdhajam: whose hair (locks) is dark and curled

• kṛtvā: having made/fashioned

• bhaktyā: with devotion

• pratiṣṭhāpya: having installed/consecrated

• śiva-sāyujyam: union/absorption with Śiva

• āpnuyāt: one would attain

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It teaches that sincere bhakti expressed through proper consecration (pratiṣṭhā) of Śiva’s form—connected to Linga-pratiṣṭhā traditions—yields the highest fruit: Śiva-sāyujya, liberation by nearness and union with Pati.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is presented as Deva-īśa (Pati, the sovereign Lord) whose Kapāla-hasta form signals transcendence over fear and death; approaching Him through devotion leads the pashu (individual soul) beyond pāśa (bondage) into sāyujya.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights pratiṣṭhā (ritual installation/consecration) performed with bhakti; as a Shaiva sādhanā, it aligns outer worship with inner Pashupata orientation—turning the mind toward Śiva as the sole liberating Pati.