Shloka 35

प्रणवार्थपद्धतिवर्णनम्

Methodical Explanation of the Meaning of Praṇava/Om

Devanagari script

प्रक्षाल्य ल्लिंगम्वेदीञ्च वस्त्रपूतैर्जलैस्ततः । निःक्षिप्य पुष्पं शिरसि लिंगस्य प्रणवेन तु

Transliteration

prakṣālya lliṃgamvedīñca vastrapūtairjalaistataḥ | niḥkṣipya puṣpaṃ śirasi liṃgasya praṇavena tu

Translation

Sesudah itu, basuhlah Liṅga dan pīṭha (alas/vedi) dengan air yang disucikan dengan disaring melalui kain. Lalu, dengan Praṇava (Oṁ), letakkan bunga pada puncak Liṅga.

Word by Word

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); having washed

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• वेदीम्: the altar/base
• वेदीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वस्त्र-पूतैः: cloth-filtered
• वस्त्र-पूतैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; 'filtered through cloth' (जलैः agrees)

• जलैः: with waters
• जलैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kala/Anukrama (काल/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); thereafter/then

• निःक्षिप्य: having placed
• निःक्षिप्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस्+क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); having placed/put down

• पुष्पम्: a flower
• पुष्पम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• शिरसि: on the head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• तु: indeed/and then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle); emphasis/contrast

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Emphasizes purity (śauca) and steadiness of daily worship: cleansing the liṅga and pīṭha with filtered water preserves ritual order and supports sustained devotion.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ

Type: panchakshara

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that outer purity in worship—washing the liṅga with carefully purified water—supports inner purity, and that offering with Oṃ aligns the devotee’s mind with Pati (Śiva), the supreme Lord, in a disciplined Shaiva act of devotion.

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

The liṅga is the accessible, worship-worthy form of Saguna Śiva for devotees; cleansing it and adorning it with a flower expresses reverence, while chanting the Praṇava sanctifies the offering and steadies awareness on Śiva’s presence in the icon.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform liṅga-śuddhi and simple pūjā: wash the liṅga and pīṭha with cloth-filtered water, offer a flower to the top of the liṅga, and chant Oṃ (Praṇava) with focused attention.