Shloka 20

Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

विद्या विद्येश्वरा रुद्राः शिवाये च प्रकीर्तिताः / कृत्तिवासेश्वरं लिङ्गं नित्यमावृत्य संस्थिताः

Transliteration

vidyā vidyeśvarā rudrāḥ śivāye ca prakīrtitāḥ / kṛttivāseśvaraṃ liṅgaṃ nityamāvṛtya saṃsthitāḥ

Translation

เหล่าวิทยาอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ วิทยेशวร รุทร และหมู่คณะของพระศิวะ—ผู้ได้รับสรรเสริญว่าเป็นของพระศิวะ—สถิตอยู่ที่นั่นเสมอ คอยโอบล้อมลึงค์แห่งกฤตติวาเสศวรไม่ขาด

Word by Word

• विद्याः: (divine) Vidyās
• विद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विद्या-ईश्वराः: lords of knowledge
• विद्या-ईश्वराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (lords of vidyā)

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शिवाय: for Śiva
• शिवाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• प्रकीर्तिताः: are proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘are proclaimed/celebrated’

• कृत्ति-वास-ईश्वरम्: (the) Lord Kṛttivāseśvara
• कृत्ति-वास-ईश्वरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (kṛtti-vāsa = ‘skin-garment’; ‘lord of Kṛttivāsa’) विशेषण of ‘लिङ्गम्’

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

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावे)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• आवृत्य: having surrounded
• आवृत्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वृत् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund, ल्यप्); ‘having covered/encircled’

• संस्थिताः: are stationed
• संस्थिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘are stationed/abide’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the tīrtha-māhātmya to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vidyā
• Vidyeśvara
• Rudra
• Shiva
• Kṛttivāseś_toggle:

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By portraying the Liṅga as the perpetual center around which divine powers (Vidyās, Vidyeśvaras, Rudras) remain established, the verse implies an unshakable spiritual axis—an emblematic pointer to the स्थिर (steady) reality that yogins seek as the inner Self and Lord.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds āvaraṇa (encircling/attending) and nitya-sthiti (constant abiding), which align with Pāśupata-oriented worship: steady upāsanā of the Liṅga, mantra-vidyā under presiding deities, and sustained contemplative presence rather than episodic ritual alone.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Within the Kurma Purana’s synthetic purāṇic style, Śiva’s Liṅga is presented as a supreme locus of divinity attended by cosmic powers; this complements (rather than opposes) Vaiṣṇava framing elsewhere, supporting a non-sectarian vision where devotion to Śiva functions within a unified dharmic cosmos.