Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 24
लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा-माहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of Liṅga Installation
मां न जानासि किं नाथं प्रपञ्चो यस्य मे कृतिः । त्रिधात्मानं विभज्येदं सृष्ट्वाथ परिपाल्यते
māṃ na jānāsi kiṃ nāthaṃ prapañco yasya me kṛtiḥ | tridhātmānaṃ vibhajyedaṃ sṛṣṭvātha paripālyate
“ഹേ നാഥാ! നീ എന്നെ അറിയുന്നില്ലേ? ഈ സമസ്ത പ്രപഞ്ചവും എന്റെ കൃതിയാണ്. ഞാൻ എന്റെ സ്വഭാവത്തെ ത്രിധയായി വിഭജിച്ച് ഈ ലോകം സൃഷ്ടിച്ച്, പിന്നെ അതിനെ പരിപാലിച്ച് ഭരിക്കുന്നു।”
Shakti (Devi), speaking to Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pasha
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: creative
FAQs
The verse highlights that the cosmos (prapañca) is not independent; it arises through divine agency. In a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, it points to the Lord (Pati) and His power (Shakti) as the intelligent cause guiding creation and ongoing governance, reminding the seeker to look beyond appearances to the divine source.
By declaring the universe to be a divine ‘work’ sustained by the Lord’s power, it supports Saguna worship: the devotee approaches Shiva in an accessible form (such as the Linga) as the living governor and protector of the world, while recognizing that Shiva ultimately transcends all manifested divisions.
A practical takeaway is contemplative japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) while meditating on Shiva as the inner ruler who creates and sustains all experience; optionally, Linga-archana with bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and Rudraksha can be done as a daily reminder of this divine governance.