Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 6

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

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Devanagari script

अष्टमृत्सलिलैर्वाथ पञ्चमृत्सलिलैस्तथा । लिङ्गं पिंडिकया सार्धं पञ्चगव्यैश्च शोधयेत्

Transliteration

aṣṭamṛtsalilairvātha pañcamṛtsalilaistathā | liṅgaṃ piṃḍikayā sārdhaṃ pañcagavyaiśca śodhayet

Translation

Hendaklah disucikan Śiva-liṅga bersama tapaknya (piṇḍikā) dengan air yang dicampur lapan jenis tanah suci, dan juga dengan air yang dicampur lima jenis tanah suci; serta hendaklah dibersihkan pula dengan pañcagavya, iaitu lima penyuci yang berasal daripada lembu.

Word by Word

• अष्ट-मृत्-सलिलैः: with water mixed with eight kinds of earth
• अष्ट-मृत्-सलिलैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (अष्टानां मृदां सलिलानि)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (particle of alternative)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• पञ्च-मृत्-सलिलैः: with water mixed with five kinds of earth
• पञ्च-मृत्-सलिलैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्चानां मृदां सलिलानि)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यक्रियावाचक-अव्यय (likewise/so)

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

• पिण्डिकया: with the pedestal (piṇḍikā)
• पिण्डिकया: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय (together with)

• पञ्च-गव्यैः: with the five cow-products (pañcagavya)
• पञ्च-गव्यैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्चगव्यानि—five cow-products)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शोधयेत्: should purify/cleanse
• शोधयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध्/शुच् (धातु) [शोधयति-प्रयोगः, णिच्]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Imperative sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: ‘cause to be purified/cleanse’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s ritual instructions as preserved in the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Ritual purification (śodhana) of liṅga and piṇḍikā mirrors Siddhānta’s purification of the paśu from mala through kriyā and Śiva’s grace; prepares the icon for effective abhiṣeka and later installation.

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches śuddhi (purification) as a prerequisite for worship: cleansing the liṅga and its base symbolizes refining the devotee’s body-mind so devotion becomes fit to receive Śiva’s grace (anugraha), aligning outer rite with inner purity in Shaiva Siddhanta.

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

The liṅga is a sacred support (ālambana) for Saguna worship—approaching the formless Pati (Śiva) through a consecrated form. Purifying the liṅga and piṇḍikā underscores reverence for the divine presence invoked in the icon during abhiṣeka and upacāras.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes ritual cleansing of the Śiva-liṅga with mṛt-salila (water mixed with sacred earths) and pañcagavya before abhiṣeka; as a meditative takeaway, perform the act with mantra-awareness (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and the intent of inner purification.