Shloka 48

Adhyaya 44: Nandikesvara’s Manifestation and Abhisheka; The Rule of Namaskara in Shiva-Nama

Devanagari script

नमस्कारविहीनस्तु नाम उद्गिरयेद्भवे ब्रह्मघ्नदशसंतुल्यं तस्य पापं गरीयसम्

Transliteration

namaskāravihīnastu nāma udgirayedbhave brahmaghnadaśasaṃtulyaṃ tasya pāpaṃ garīyasam

Translation

നമസ്കാരമില്ലാതെ വെറും ഭവനായ ശിവന്റെ നാമം ഉച്ചരിക്കുന്നവന്റെ പാപം അത്യന്തം ഗുരുതരം—പത്ത് ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യയ്‌ക്ക് തുല്യം.

Word by Word

• नमस्कारविहीनः: without salutation/reverence

• तु: but

• नाम: the Name (of Śiva)

• उद्गिरयेत्: should utter/recite aloud

• भवॆ: in worldly existence/in the world

• ब्रह्मघ्न: slayer of a brāhmaṇa

• दश: ten

• संतुल्यम्: equal/comparable

• तस्य: of him/for that person

• पापम्: sin/demerit

• गरीयसम्: heavier, more grievous

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja discipline within the Linga Purana’s teaching stream)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes that Shiva-nāma and Linga-pūjā must begin with namaskāra (humble reverence); uttering the Name casually is treated as an offence that obstructs puṇya and deepens pāśa (bondage).

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

By stressing reverence to the Name, it implies Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord whose mantra is not a mere sound but a sacred access-point to His grace; irreverence turns practice into nāmāparādha rather than liberating upāya.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pūjā-vidhi and mantra-japa discipline: begin with namaskāra, recite with bhāva (devotional intent), and avoid offences that keep the paśu bound by pāśa instead of moving toward Shiva’s anugraha (grace).