Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 41

लिङ्ग-बेर-प्रतिष्ठाविधिः / The Procedure for Installing the Liṅga and the Bera

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Devanagari script

कृत्वा पञ्चकलान्यासं दीप्तं लिंगमनुस्मरेत् । आवाहयेच्छिवौ साक्षात्प्राञ्जलिः प्रागुदङ्मुखः

Transliteration

kṛtvā pañcakalānyāsaṃ dīptaṃ liṃgamanusmaret | āvāhayecchivau sākṣātprāñjaliḥ prāgudaṅmukhaḥ

Translation

പഞ്ചകലാ ന്യാസം നിർവഹിച്ചു, ദീപ്തമായ ലിംഗത്തെ മനസ്സിൽ ധ്യാനിക്കണം. കൈകൂപ്പി, കിഴക്ക് അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വടക്ക് മുഖമായി നിന്നുകൊണ്ട്, സാക്ഷാൽ ശിവനെ ആവാഹനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: कृ; ‘having done’

• पञ्च-कलान्यासम्: the placement (nyāsa) of the five kalās
• पञ्च-कलान्यासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पञ्चकलानां न्यासः

• दीप्तम्: radiant
• दीप्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (प्रातिपदिक; √दीप् धातु से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: the liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अनुस्मरेत्: should remember/meditate on
• अनुस्मरेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; लोट्-आदेशार्थे विधिलिङ्—‘should remember/meditate upon’

• आवाहयेत्: should invoke
• आवाहयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√वह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘should invoke/call’

• शिवौ: the two Śivas (Śiva and Śakti)
• शिवौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन; (युगलार्थे) शिव-शक्त्योः/शिवयोः इति द्वयम्

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्राञ्जलिः: with joined palms
• प्राञ्जलिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘hands joined’

• प्राक्: eastward
• प्राक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिक्-प्रवाचक (directional adverb)

• उदङ्-मुखः: north-facing
• उदङ्-मुखः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदङ् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—उदङ् (उत्तरदिक्) एव मुखं यस्य

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It teaches that disciplined preparation (pañcakalā-nyāsa) and focused remembrance of the radiant Liṅga make the mind fit for Śiva’s direct presence—aligning devotion (bhakti) with inner yogic concentration for grace and purification.

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

The Liṅga is presented as a luminous support for saguna worship: by meditating on it as ‘dīpta’ (radiant) and performing invocation (āvāhana), the devotee approaches Śiva as immediately present, while recognizing Him as the supreme Pati beyond limitation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform pañcakalā-nyāsa, then meditate on the radiant Liṅga, and do āvāhana with añjali while facing east or north—an instruction that complements mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī) and steady dhyāna during Śiva-pūjā.