Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 10

अलकापतेः तपः-लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा च वरप्राप्तिः / The Lord of Alakā: Austerity, Liṅga-Establishment, and the Receiving of a Boon

Devanagari script

लिंगे मनस्समाधाय स्थितं स्थाणुस्वरूपिणम् । उवाच वरदोऽस्मीति तदाचक्ष्वालकापते

Transliteration

liṃge manassamādhāya sthitaṃ sthāṇusvarūpiṇam | uvāca varado'smīti tadācakṣvālakāpate

Translation

ଲିଙ୍ଗରେ ମନକୁ ସମାଧିରେ ନିବେଶ କରି—ଯେଉଁଠି ସ୍ଥାଣୁସ୍ୱରୂପ ମହାଦେବ ସ୍ୱରୂପେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ—ସେ କହିଲେ, “ମୁଁ ବରଦାତା।” ହେ ଅଲକାପତି, ସେ ବୃତ୍ତାନ୍ତ କହ।

Word by Word

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (मनः)

• समाधाय: having fixed/placed
• समाधाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√धा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/ल्यप्), ‘having placed/fixed’

• स्थितम्: standing / situated
• स्थितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; here as adjective to implied object/person

• स्थाणुस्वरूपिणम्: one having the form of Sthāṇu (Śiva)
• स्थाणुस्वरूपिणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थाणु-स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्थाणोः स्वरूपम् यस्य = of the form of Sthāṇu)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वरदः: the boon-giver
• वरदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyaparicchedaka (वाक्यपरिच्छेदक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• तत्: that (statement/thing)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आचक्ष्व: tell / explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अलकापते: O lord of Alakā (Kubera)
• अलकापते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलका-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अलकायाः पतिः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā account to the sages, with an address to Alakāpati/Kubera as part of the verse’s dialogue)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse frames the Liṅga as the locus where Sthāṇu (the immovable Lord) is directly present; the ‘varada’ utterance signals the Liṅga’s role as a grace-bestowing epiphany rather than a site-specific Jyotirliṅga legend.

Significance: Darśana of the Liṅga with one-pointed samādhi is presented as the direct channel for Śiva’s anugraha (boon/grace).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga
• Sthanu
• Kubera

FAQs

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

It teaches that steady inner absorption (samādhi) on the Liṅga reveals Śiva as Sthāṇu—the unshakable Reality—and that grace (boon-bestowal) arises when the mind becomes one-pointed in devotion and contemplation.

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

The Liṅga functions as a sacred support for meditation: through a visible, worshipful form (saguṇa-upāsanā), the devotee is led to the steadfast essence of Śiva (Sthāṇu), indicating the bridge from form-based worship to realization of the Supreme.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice dhyāna by fixing the mind on the Śiva Liṅga with one-pointed attention; accompany it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and simple Liṅga-pūjā (water/abhisheka), cultivating stillness and devotion.