Shloka 3

लिङ्गार्चनविधिक्रमः—शुद्धि, न्यास, आसनकल्पना, अभिषेक, स्तोत्र-प्रदक्षिणा

Adhyaya 27

Devanagari script

पञ्चवक्त्रं दशभुजं शुद्धस्फटिकसन्निभम् सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तं चित्रांबरविभूषितम्

Transliteration

pañcavaktraṃ daśabhujaṃ śuddhasphaṭikasannibham sarvābharaṇasaṃyuktaṃ citrāṃbaravibhūṣitam

Translation

祂五面十臂，光耀如无瑕水晶；具足一切庄严，披着绚丽多彩的圣衣。应如是观想帕提（主湿婆）：清净、明耀，统御万有。

Word by Word

• पञ्चवक्त्रम्: five-faced

• दशभुजम्: ten-armed

• शुद्ध: pure, flawless

• स्फटिक: crystal

• सन्निभम्: resembling, having the likeness of

• सर्व: all

• आभरण: ornaments

• संयुक्तम्: endowed with, united with

• चित्र: multicolored, splendid, wondrous

• अम्बर: garment, clothing

• विभूषितम्: adorned, beautified

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the dhyana/description as part of the Linga Purana’s Purva-Bhaga teaching)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It provides a dhyāna-lakṣaṇa (meditative iconography) for invoking Śiva before liṅga-pūjā—fixing the mind on Pati as pure, luminous, and fully adorned, which steadies devotion and prepares the worshipper (paśu) to loosen bondage (pāśa).

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

By comparing Him to flawless crystal, the verse points to Śiva’s nirdoṣatva (stainless purity) and prakāśa (self-luminosity). The multiple faces and arms signify His all-knowing, all-effective lordship as Pati—transcendent yet accessible through contemplation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Śiva-dhyāna (iconic contemplation) as a preparatory limb of pūjā and Pāśupata-oriented practice: concentrating on the pañcavaktra, daśabhuja form to stabilize citta and orient the paśu toward liberation from pāśa.