Shloka 44

Devanagari script

कृत्वा भक्त्या प्रतिष्ठाप्य मुच्यते भवसागरात् ओंनमो नीलकण्ठाय इति पुण्याक्षराष्टकम्

Transliteration

kṛtvā bhaktyā pratiṣṭhāpya mucyate bhavasāgarāt oṃnamo nīlakaṇṭhāya iti puṇyākṣarāṣṭakam

Translation

Tendo instalado (o Liṅga) com devoção, a pessoa é libertada do oceano do devir mundano. “Oṃ, homenagem a Nīlakaṇṭha”—esta é a fórmula sagrada de oito sílabas.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done/performing

• भक्त्या: with devotion (bhakti)

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed/established (the Liṅga)

• मुच्यते: is liberated/is released

• भवसागरात्: from the ocean of saṃsāra (becoming)

• ओम्: Oṃ (praṇava)

• नमो: homage/salutation

• नीलकण्ठाय: to Nīlakaṇṭha (the Blue-throated Śiva)

• इति: thus/so

• पुण्य: meritorious/holy

• अक्षर: syllable/imperishable sound-unit

• अष्टकम्: set of eight/eightfold (here: eight syllables)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the phalaśruti of Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and mantra-japa)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Nīlakaṇṭha)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It states the core phala (fruit) of Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā done with bhakti: liberation from the bhava-sāgara (saṃsāra). The act is not merely ritual—devotional consecration invokes Pati (Śiva) whose grace cuts the pāśa (bondage) of the paśu (soul).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is invoked as Nīlakaṇṭha, the compassionate Lord who bears the poison for the worlds—signifying his role as Pati, the transcendent yet gracious liberator. The verse frames liberation as arising through his mantra and presence established in the Liṅga.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (installation/consecration) performed with bhakti, along with japa of the eight-syllabled mantra “oṃ namo nīlakaṇṭhāya,” presented as a direct means toward release from saṃsāric bondage.