Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा-माहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of Liṅga Installation

Devanagari script

कुतस्त्वमागतो वत्स कस्मात्त्वं व्याकुलो वद । इति विष्णुवचः श्रुत्वा प्रभुत्वगुणसूचकम्

Transliteration

kutastvamāgato vatsa kasmāttvaṃ vyākulo vada | iti viṣṇuvacaḥ śrutvā prabhutvaguṇasūcakam

Translation

“ବତ୍ସ, ତୁମେ କେଉଁଠୁ ଆସିଛ? କାହିଁକି ବ୍ୟାକୁଳ? କହ।” ଏହିପରି ପ୍ରଭୁତ୍ୱ ଓ ରକ୍ଷକ-ସ୍ୱଭାବ ସୂଚକ ବିଷ୍ଣୁବଚନ ଶୁଣି ସେ ଉତ୍ତର ଦେବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲା।

Word by Word

• kutaḥ: from where
• kutaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय/प्रश्नाव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine) (contextual), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• āgataḥ: (have) come
• āgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) (predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√gam (धातु) → āgata (कृदन्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular); Kta-participle (क्त) used predicatively with implied 'asi'

• vatsa: dear child
• vatsa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana (Singular)

• kasmāt: why / from what cause
• kasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pañcamī (Ablative, 5th), Ekavacana (Singular) used adverbially as interrogative ('why/from what cause')

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine) (contextual), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• vyākulaḥ: agitated
• vyākulaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular) (predicate adjective)

• vada: tell/speak
• vada: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (Imperative, लोट्), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyasaṃbandha (वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-प्रयोग)

• viṣṇu-vacaḥ: Viṣṇu's words
• viṣṇu-vacaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of śrutvā as heard-speech)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular); Ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (genitive determinative): 'Viṣṇoḥ vacaḥ'

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), prior action to main clause

• prabhutva-guṇa-sūcakam: indicating (his) lordly quality
• prabhutva-guṇa-sūcakam: Karma (कर्म) (qualifier of viṣṇuvacaḥ understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prabhutva (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sūcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), Dvitīyā (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana (Singular); determinative compound meaning 'indicating the quality of lordship'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It highlights the divine quality of prabhutva—protective sovereignty—where a higher power first asks the distressed being to speak, making the path of relief begin with truthful disclosure and surrender; in Shaiva Siddhanta, such distress ultimately resolves by taking refuge in Pati (Shiva), the supreme Lord.

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

The verse models Saguna devotion: the Lord is approachable, compassionate, and responsive to the devotee’s turmoil—an attitude mirrored in Linga-worship where one brings one’s suffering before the manifest symbol of Shiva and seeks grace (anugraha).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to begin worship with honest self-offering (ātma-nivedana) and calm the mind through japa—especially the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—before continuing with Linga-abhiṣeka or meditation.