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Shloka 1

द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गावतारकथनम्

Account of the Twelve Jyotirliṅga Manifestations

Devanagari script

नन्दीश्वर उवाच । अवताराञ्छृणु विभोर्द्वादशप्रमितान्परान् । ज्योतिर्लिङ्गस्वरूपान्वै नानोति कारकान्मुने

Transliteration

nandīśvara uvāca | avatārāñchṛṇu vibhordvādaśapramitānparān | jyotirliṅgasvarūpānvai nānoti kārakānmune

Translation

نندییشور نے کہا—اے مُنی، پرم وِبھُو کے بارہ برتر اوتار سنو؛ وہی جیوترلِنگ کے روپ ہیں جو طرح طرح کے دیویہ پھل عطا کرتے ہیں۔

Word by Word
नन्दीश्वरःNandīśvara
नन्दीश्वरः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनन्दीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘said’
अवतारान्incarnations
अवतारान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
शृणुhear
शृणु:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — ‘hear’
विभोःof the Lord
विभोः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootविभु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of the Lord’
द्वादशtwelve
द्वादश:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वादश (संख्या/अव्ययप्राय)
Formसंख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; here as compound-member ‘twelve’
प्रमितान्numbered/measured
प्रमितान्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र-मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘measured/numbered’
परान्supreme
परान्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘supreme/excellent’
ज्योतिःlight
ज्योतिः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘light’ (समासाङ्ग)
लिङ्गliṅga
लिङ्ग:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootलिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘liṅga’ (समासाङ्ग)
स्वरूपान्having the nature/form
स्वरूपान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः — ‘having the form/nature’
वैindeed
वै:
N/A (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphatic particle)
नानोत्various
नानोत्:
N/A (अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनानोत् (अव्यय)
Formपाठभेद/सन्ध्यन्त-रूपम्; सम्भाव्यं ‘नानाति/नानाविध’ इत्यर्थे अव्ययप्रयोगः — ‘various’
कारकान्causal factors / agents
कारकान्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकारक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘agents/causal factors’
मुनेO sage
मुने:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — address
Speaker

Nandishvara (Nandi)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Programmatic introduction: Nandīśvara announces twelve supreme manifestations of the all-pervading Lord as Jyotirliṅgas—self-manifest luminous signs through which Śiva becomes accessible for darśana and grace, each conferring distinct phala (benefits).

Significance: Frames the Jyotirliṅgas as salvific loci: pilgrimage and devotion to these forms is presented as a means to obtain diverse auspicious results and, ultimately, Śiva’s anugraha.

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities
S
Shiva
N
Nandishvara (Nandi)

FAQs

This verse introduces Shiva’s supreme compassion expressed through twelve Jyotirlinga-form manifestations—accessible, worshipful revelations of the transcendent Lord that grant varied spiritual and worldly benefits and support the devotee’s path toward liberation.

By naming Shiva’s manifestations as “Jyotirlinga-svarūpa,” the verse frames the Linga as Saguna-accessible worship of the otherwise limitless Lord—light-form (jyotis) made present for devotion, pilgrimage, and grace.

A key takeaway is focused Jyotirlinga-bhakti: hearing (śravaṇa) their glory, meditating on Shiva as the indwelling light, and performing Linga-pūjā with mantra—especially the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as one proceeds through the twelve sacred manifestations.

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