Shloka 15

Mahādeva’s Boon: Unwavering Bhakti, Tri-functional Cosmos, and the Supratiṣṭhā of Liṅga-Arcā

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति लोकेषु लिङ्गार्चा सुप्रतिष्ठिता लिङ्गवेदी महादेवी लिङ्गं साक्षान्महेश्वरः

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti lokeṣu liṅgārcā supratiṣṭhitā liṅgavedī mahādevī liṅgaṃ sākṣānmaheśvaraḥ

Translation

അന്നുമുതൽ ലോകങ്ങളിലൊട്ടാകെ ലിംഗാർചന ഉറച്ചുപ്രതിഷ്ഠിതമായി. ലിംഗവേദി സ്വയം മഹാദേവി; ലിംഗം സാക്ഷാൽ മഹേശ്വരന്റെ പ്രത്യക്ഷസ്വരൂപം।

Word by Word

• tadāprabhṛti: from that time onward

• lokeṣu: in the worlds

• liṅga-arcā: worship/adoration of the Liṅga

• su-pratiṣṭhitā: well-established, firmly instituted

• liṅga-vedī: the altar/base of the Liṅga

• mahādevī: the Great Goddess (Śakti)

• liṅgam: the Liṅga

• sākṣāt: directly, in manifest presence

• maheśvaraḥ: Lord Maheśvara (Śiva)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mahadevi (Shakti/Parvati)

FAQs

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

It declares liṅgārcā as a universally established sādhana and affirms that worship offered to the Liṅga reaches Śiva directly, making Liṅga-pūjā a primary, authoritative mode of devotion in the Linga Purana.

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

Śiva is identified as “sākṣāt Maheśvara” in the Liṅga—Pati made immediately accessible to the paśu (individual soul) through a consecrated form, without reducing His transcendence.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Liṅga-arcana with proper pratishthā is highlighted: honoring the Liṅga together with its vedī, understanding the vedī as Śakti and the Liṅga as Śiva—an essential Shaiva ritual framework that supports Pāśupata-oriented devotion and purification.