Shloka 7

Pārthiva-Śiva-liṅga Saṃkhyā-vidhāna

Enumeration and Procedure of Earthen Liṅga Worship

Devanagari script

विद्यार्थी पुरुषः प्रीत्या सहस्रमितपार्थिवम् । पूजयेच्छिवलिंगं हि निश्चयात्तत्फलप्रदम्

Transliteration

vidyārthī puruṣaḥ prītyā sahasramitapārthivam | pūjayecchivaliṃgaṃ hi niścayāttatphalapradam

Translation

વિદ્યાભક્ત પુરુષે હર્ષપૂર્વક સહસ્રપરિમાણનું પાર્થિવ શિવલિંગ પૂજવું; તે નિશ્ચયે ઇષ્ટફળ આપનાર છે.

Word by Word

• विद्या-अर्थी: a seeker of knowledge; student
• विद्या-अर्थी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या-अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (विद्यायाः अर्थी); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine nominative singular

• पुरुषः: man; person
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; masculine nominative singular

• प्रीत्या: with affection; gladly
• प्रीत्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; feminine instrumental singular

• सहस्र-मित-पार्थिवम्: measured as a thousand; of a thousand (earthen)
• सहस्र-मित-पार्थिवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-मित-पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (सहस्रेण मितम् पार्थिवम् / सहस्रसंख्यया मितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; neuter accusative singular (qualifying 'शिवलिङ्गम्' as 'earthen liṅga measured as a thousand' = 'a thousand earthen liṅgas/one thousandfold earthen')

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; optative 3rd sg

• शिव-लिङ्गम्: Śiva-liṅga
• शिव-लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य लिङ्गम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter accusative singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (assurance particle)

• निश्चयात्: certainly; from certainty
• निश्चयात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; masculine ablative singular (adverbial: 'certainly')

• तत्-फल-प्रदम्: bestowing that result
• तत्-फल-प्रदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्-फल-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (तस्य फलम् प्रददाति); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; neuter accusative singular (agreeing with शिवलिङ्गम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that vidyā (true learning) is sanctified when pursued with bhakti; worship of the Shiva-liṅga—Saguna Shiva as an accessible support for devotion—removes obstacles to knowledge and grants the seeker’s intended spiritual and worldly fruits by Shiva’s grace.

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

The verse explicitly recommends liṅga-pūjā, presenting the liṅga as the concrete, worshipful form of Shiva through which the devotee approaches the transcendent (Nirguna) reality; devotion to the liṅga becomes a direct means to receive Shiva’s anugraha (grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests devotional worship of a pārthiva (clay/earth) Shiva-liṅga—i.e., making or obtaining an earthen liṅga and performing pūjā with loving attention; this can be paired with japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as the inner meditative support.