Shloka 109

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

अङ्गुलीजपसंख्यानम् एकमेकं शुभानने रेखैरष्टगुणं प्रोक्तं पुत्रजीवफलैर् दश

Transliteration

aṅgulījapasaṃkhyānam ekamekaṃ śubhānane rekhairaṣṭaguṇaṃ proktaṃ putrajīvaphalair daśa

Translation

善颜者啊，以手指计数而持诵者，教为一一而数；依指纹之线计之，则说为八倍；以菩提子（putrajīva）之籽计之，则为十倍。

Word by Word

• aṅgulī: finger

• japa: mantra repetition

• saṅkhyānam: counting/numbering method

• ekam ekam: one by one (single count per unit)

• śubhānane: O auspicious/fair-faced one (address)

• rekhaiḥ: by the lines/creases (of the fingers)

• aṣṭa-guṇam: eightfold (multiplied by eight)

• proktam: is said/taught

• putrajīva-phalaiḥ: with putrajīva fruits/seeds (used as a rosary)

• daśa: tenfold (multiplied by ten)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a Shiva-puja/japa instruction embedded in the Purva-Bhaga discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It standardizes how a devotee counts Shiva-mantra japa—by fingers, finger-creases, or a putrajīva mālā—so the upāsanā remains disciplined and repeatable, supporting steady focus on Pati (Shiva) for the uplift of the paśu (soul).

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

Indirectly, it presents Shiva as Pati who is approached through niyama (regulated practice): precise japa-counting is a means to purify pasha-bound awareness and stabilize devotion toward Shiva-tattva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-japa with a defined counting system—finger-counting, counting by finger-lines (rekhā), and counting with a putrajīva seed rosary—an aid to Pashupata-style disciplined upāsanā.