Shloka 28

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhāvidhiḥ — Installation Standards and Auspicious Parameters for Liṅga Worship

Devanagari script

नीराजनं च तांबूलं नमस्कारो विसर्जनम् । अथवाऽर्घ्यादिकं कृत्वा नैवेद्यां तं यथाविधि

Transliteration

nīrājanaṃ ca tāṃbūlaṃ namaskāro visarjanam | athavā'rghyādikaṃ kṛtvā naivedyāṃ taṃ yathāvidhi

Translation

പിന്നീട് നീരാജനം നടത്തി, താംബൂലം അർപ്പിച്ച്, നമസ്കാരം ചെയ്ത്, വിസർജനം നടത്തണം. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അർഘ്യം മുതലായവ അർപ്പിച്ച്, വിധിപൂർവ്വം അവനു നൈവേദ്യം സമർപ്പിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• नीराजनम्: waving of lights (ārati)
• नीराजनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीराजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• ताम्बूलम्: betel offering
• ताम्बूलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• नमस्कारः: salutation
• नमस्कारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• विसर्जनम्: dismissal/leave-taking
• विसर्जनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विसर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); here as item in list (object sense)

• अथवा: or else/alternatively
• अथवा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: Alternative particle (विकल्पार्थक अव्यय)

• अर्घ्य-आदिकम्: arghya etc. (offerings beginning with arghya)
• अर्घ्य-आदिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रातिपदिक/प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); समाहार/समुच्चयार्थ: ‘arghya and the rest’

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वकालिक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त); ‘having done’

• नैवेद्यम्: food offering (naivedya)
• नैवेद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• तत्: him (to that deity)
• तत्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun referring to the deity

• यथा-विधि: according to rule
• यथा-विधि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound used adverbially (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the prescribed method of Shiva worship to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Concluding rites (nīrājana, namaskāra, visarjana) reflect the complete pūjā-cycle typical of Kāśī temples, where ārati and formal closure seal the act of worship.

Significance: Completion of pūjā with ārati and namaskāra is treated as integral; it ‘seals’ the devotee’s offering and receptivity to grace.

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva-puja is completed with mindful closure—ārati, offerings, prostration, and visarjana—so devotion becomes orderly, reverent, and inwardly surrendered to Pati (Shiva).

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

The verse describes the external concluding steps of Saguna worship of Shiva as the Linga—offering light, food, and respectful dismissal—through which the devotee focuses the mind and expresses bhakti in a concrete, scriptural way.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform nīrājana (ārati), offer naivedya and tāmbūla, then do namaskāra and end with visarjana—treating each act as a meditative offering of the senses to Shiva.