Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 37

सेवातत्त्वप्रश्नः — The Question of Whom to Serve (Sevā) for the Removal of Suffering

Devanagari script

एवं विधानि लिंगानि दत्तानि विश्वकर्मणा । ते पूजयंति सर्वे वै देवा ऋषिगणा स्तथा

Transliteration

evaṃ vidhāni liṃgāni dattāni viśvakarmaṇā | te pūjayaṃti sarve vai devā ṛṣigaṇā stathā

Translation

ดังนี้ ศิวลึงค์ที่จัดทำตามแบบแผนได้ถูกวิศวกรรมันประทานไว้ แล้วเหล่าเทพทั้งปวงและหมู่ฤๅษีทั้งหลายก็ได้บูชาศิวลึงค์เหล่านั้นโดยแท้

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• vidhāni: of such kinds
• vidhāni: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणं (liṃgāni)

• liṅgāni: liṅgas
• liṅgāni: Karta (कर्ता—passive sense with participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विषय), बहुवचन

• dattāni: were given
• dattāni: Kriyā (क्रिया—कर्मणि भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु) → datta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (दा—क्त)

• viśvakarmaṇā: by Viśvakarman
• viśvakarmaṇā: Karta (कर्ता—कर्मणि प्रयोगे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvakarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ-हेतु), एकवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• pūjayanti: worship
• pūjayanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणं (te/devā/ṛṣigaṇāḥ)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय/पादपूरण (emphatic particle)

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ṛṣi-gaṇāḥ: groups of sages
• ṛṣi-gaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां गणाः)

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga legend; it frames liṅga-worship as a divinely instituted, architected tradition: Viśvakarman fashions/dispenses prescribed liṅgas, which become stable supports for ongoing worship by devas and ṛṣis.

Significance: Establishes normative authority for liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and pūjā: when the liṅga is ‘vidhāna’-conformant, worship becomes a sustaining (sthiti) dharmic act for cosmic order.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Śiva (implied through liṅga worship)

FAQs

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

The verse establishes the liṅga as an authorized, rule-based (vidhi) form for approaching Śiva, showing that even devas and ṛṣis adopt liṅga-pūjā as a direct means of devotion and grace.

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

By stating that consecrated liṅgas were crafted and then worshipped by exalted beings, it affirms liṅga worship as Saguna-upāsanā: a tangible support through which the devotee reveres the transcendent Pati (Śiva).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to vidhi-based liṅga-pūjā—regular worship with offerings (especially abhiṣeka), accompanied by mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” as a steady devotional discipline.