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

विरञ्चि (ब्रह्मा) आदि से आरम्भ होने वाली चार मूर्तियाँ स्मरण की गई हैं; वे हवन-क्रिया में आहुति देती हैं। उनमें ‘दैशिक’—दीक्षा देने वाला मार्गदर्शक रूप—प्रथम है; उसे ईशान (उत्तर-पूर्व) में, अथवा पश्चिम में स्थापित/पूजित करें।

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.