Shloka 53

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

शुद्धस्फटिकलिंगं तु स्त्रीणां तत्सर्वभोगदम् । प्रवृत्तानां पीठपूजा सर्वाभीष्टप्रदा भुवि

Transliteration

śuddhasphaṭikaliṃgaṃ tu strīṇāṃ tatsarvabhogadam | pravṛttānāṃ pīṭhapūjā sarvābhīṣṭapradā bhuvi

Translation

സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് ശുദ്ധസ്ഫടികലിംഗപൂജ എല്ലാ ഭോഗങ്ങളും മംഗളഫലങ്ങളും നൽകുന്നു. ലോകധർമ്മത്തിൽ പ്രവൃത്തരായ ഗൃഹസ്ഥർക്കു പീഠപൂജ ഭൂമിയിൽ എല്ലാ അഭീഷ്ടങ്ങളും പ്രസാദിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शुद्ध-स्फटिक-लिङ्गम्: pure crystal liṅga
• शुद्ध-स्फटिक-लिङ्गम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + स्फटिक (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारयः (pure crystal liṅga)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तत्-सर्व-भोग-दम्: giver of all enjoyments
• तत्-सर्व-भोग-दम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (giver of all enjoyments to them/that)

• प्रवृत्तानाम्: of those who are active/engaged
• प्रवृत्तानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+वृत् (धातु) → प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of those engaged/active)

• पीठ-पूजा: pīṭha-worship
• पीठ-पूजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (worship of the pīṭha/seat/altar)

• सर्व-अभीष्ट-प्रदा: granting all desired boons
• सर्व-अभीष्ट-प्रदा: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (giver of all desired things)

• भुवि: on earth/in the world
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Within the Kāśī-centered frame, the liṅga is treated as the stable axis of worldly welfare (bhoga) and spiritual good (śiva-bhakti); this verse maps different worship-supports (crystal liṅga, pīṭha) to different aims and adhikāras.

Significance: Frames Śiva worship as capable of granting both bhoga (worldly well-being) and iṣṭa-siddhi for pravṛtti-oriented householders, while remaining within dharmic bounds.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

The verse affirms that Śiva’s grace through Liṅga-upāsanā supports both spiritual uplift and righteous worldly wellbeing—especially for devotees living within social and familial duties—showing Śaiva dharma as inclusive of pravṛtti (engaged life) while oriented toward auspiciousness.

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

It highlights Saguna worship: the Liṅga as a sacred, approachable form of Śiva through which devotees receive tangible blessings. The crystal Liṅga and the pīṭha are treated as ritually potent supports for devotion, focusing the mind and offering a concrete locus for bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Liṅga-pūjā with a pure crystal Liṅga (cleanliness, abhiṣeka, and offerings) and include pīṭha-pūjā—honoring the base with water, flowers, and mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” especially on Mahāśivarātri or daily worship.