Shloka 12

ग्रहसंख्यावर्णनम् — ध्रुवस्य तपोबलात् ध्रुवस्थानप्राप्तिः

Devanagari script

उवाच प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा भगवन् वक्तुमर्हसि सर्वेषामुपरिस्थानं केन प्राप्स्यामि सत्तम

Transliteration

uvāca prāñjalirbhūtvā bhagavan vaktumarhasi sarveṣāmuparisthānaṃ kena prāpsyāmi sattama

Translation

他合掌恭敬而言：“噢，薄伽梵，愿你垂慈开示——以何法门，噢诸善中最胜者，我才能证得那超越一切之上的至高境位？”

Word by Word

• uvāca: said

• prāñjaliḥ: with joined palms (in supplication)

• bhūtvā: having become/assuming (that posture)

• bhagavan: O Lord, O Blessed One

• vaktum: to speak, to explain

• arhasi: you are worthy/please deign

• sarveṣām: of all (beings/conditions)

• uparisthānam: the higher station, the state above

• kena: by what (means)

• prāpsyāmi: shall I attain/obtain

• sattama: O best among the good/virtuous

Speaker

An inquirer/disciple (within Suta’s narration)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-upāsanā as a means-oriented inquiry: the devotee seeks the “state above all,” implying that worship of Pati (Shiva) is pursued not merely for worldly siddhis but for transcendence and liberation.

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

By addressing Shiva as “Bhagavān” and asking for the way to the highest station, the verse implies Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord who alone can disclose the path beyond all conditioned states (pāśa-bound existence).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights śaraṇāgati and guru-like instruction: reverent supplication (prāñjali) and requesting upadeśa, which in the Linga Purana typically culminates in Shiva-upāsanā and Pāśupata-oriented discipline leading beyond bondage (pāśa).