Shloka 12

ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग-तदुपलिङ्ग-माहात्म्यवर्णनम्

Narration of the Greatness of the Jyotirliṅga and Associated Liṅgas

Devanagari script

तथापि श्रूयताम्प्रीत्या कथयामि यथाश्रुतम् । लिंगानि च ऋषिश्रेष्ठाः पृथिव्यां यानि तानि ह

Transliteration

tathāpi śrūyatāmprītyā kathayāmi yathāśrutam | liṃgāni ca ṛṣiśreṣṭhāḥ pṛthivyāṃ yāni tāni ha

Translation

即便如此，也请以欢喜的虔敬聆听；我将依我所闻，叙述那存在于大地之上的诸圣湿婆林伽，噢，最胜的仙贤。

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; concessive/emphatic)

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be heard’

• प्रीत्या: with affection/with pleasure
• प्रीत्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• कथयामि: I tell/narrate
• कथयामि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यथा-श्रुतम्: as heard (according to what was heard)
• यथा-श्रुतम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + श्रुत (कृदन्त; श्रु-धातोः क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः ‘as heard’

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऋषिश्रेष्ठाः: O best of sages
• ऋषिश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Vocative/Nominative plural; here vocative address); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ऋषीणां श्रेष्ठाः)

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यानि: which (ones)
• यानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• तानि: those (ones)
• तानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; निर्देश (correlative pronoun)

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Programmatic opening to a liṅga-catalogue: Sūta signals a traditional (śruti/smṛti-anusāra) recounting of terrestrial Śiva-liṅgas, preparing the ground for later sthala-narratives (manifestations, installations, and merits).

Significance: Śravaṇa (devotional listening) to liṅga-māhātmya is framed as a bhakti-sādhana that ripens faith and motivates tīrtha-yātrā and liṅga-sevā.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rishis

FAQs

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

The verse establishes a lineage of sacred transmission (“as I have heard”) and frames the teaching as bhakti-filled listening (śravaṇa). In Shaiva understanding, devoted hearing and remembering of Śiva’s liṅga-manifestations purifies the bound soul (paśu) and orients it toward Śiva (Pati), preparing the mind for grace.

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

By announcing the narration of the liṅgas on earth, it points to Saguna worship—Śiva approached through an accessible, consecrated form (liṅga) that serves as a doorway to realizing His transcendence (Nirguna). The Kotirudra context especially leads into the Jyotirlinga tradition and pilgrimage devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The immediate practice is attentive devotional listening (śravaṇa) to liṅga-māhātmya; as a takeaway, one may pair it with daily liṅga-pūjā, japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and simple offerings (water, bilva) with a focused, reverent mind.