Shloka 1

Liṅga–Bera Pūjā: Nitya-Arcana and Upacāras as an Accessible Sādhana (लिङ्गबेरपूजा-विधानम्)

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । श्रवणादित्रिकेऽशक्तो लिंगं बेरं च शांकरम् । संस्थाप्य नित्यमभ्यर्च्य तरेत्संसारसागरम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | śravaṇāditrike'śakto liṃgaṃ beraṃ ca śāṃkaram | saṃsthāpya nityamabhyarcya taretsaṃsārasāgaram

Translation

سوت نے کہا— جو شروَن وغیرہ کے تریہ میں ناتواں ہو، وہ شاںکر لِنگ اور شاںکر بِیر (مورت) کو قائم کرے، روزانہ بھکتی سے پوجا کرے اور یوں سنسار کے ساگر سے پار ہو جائے۔

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• श्रवण-आदि-त्रिके: in the triad beginning with hearing
• श्रवण-आदि-त्रिके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + त्रिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन

• अशक्तः: unable
• अशक्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (understood subject: ‘he’)

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

• बेरम्: icon/image (bera)
• बेरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

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

• शाङ्करम्: pertaining to Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शाङ्करम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (qualifying ‘लिङ्गम्/बेरम्’)

• संस्थाप्य: having installed
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√स्था (धातु) → संस्थाप्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having स्थापित/installed’

• नित्यम्: daily/always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘always/daily’)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√अर्च् (धातु) → अभ्यर्च्य (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप् अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having worshipped’

• तरेत्: should cross
• तरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• संसार-सागरम्: the ocean of worldly existence
• संसार-सागरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य सागरः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a specific Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse teaches a general remedial upāya: for those unfit for śravaṇa–manana–nididhyāsana, establish a Śaṅkara-liṅga and Śaṅkara-bera and worship daily to cross saṃsāra.

Significance: Affirms that accessible daily liṅga/mūrti worship (caryā/kriyā) can become a vehicle for Śiva’s grace leading beyond bondage.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches an accessible Shaiva Siddhanta path: when higher contemplative disciplines are difficult, steady daily worship of Śiva (liṅga and icon) becomes a direct means to loosen bondage and attain liberation.

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

It explicitly recommends both forms—liṅga (symbolic/aniconic) and bera (iconic/saguna)—showing that concrete worship supports devotion, purification, and grace, leading the devotee beyond saṃsāra.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Establish (saṃsthāpya) a Śiva-liṅga and/or Śiva-mūrti and perform daily abhyarcana—regular pūjā/abhisheka with mantra and offerings—maintaining consistent devotion as the core practice.