Shloka 6

Śivarātri-vrata Udyāpana-vidhi

Completion Rite for the Śivarātri Observance

Devanagari script

तन्मध्ये लेखयेद्दिव्यं लिंगतो भद्रमण्डलम् । अथवा सर्वतोभद्रं मण्डपान्तः प्रकल्पयेत्

Transliteration

tanmadhye lekhayeddivyaṃ liṃgato bhadramaṇḍalam | athavā sarvatobhadraṃ maṇḍapāntaḥ prakalpayet

Translation

在其中央，应依于林伽（Liṅga）绘制一座神圣吉祥的曼荼罗。或者就在曼荼罗亭（maṇḍapa）之内，布置“萨尔瓦托跋陀罗（sarvatobhadra）”——四方皆利的吉祥阵式。

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• लेखयेत्: should draw/inscribe
• लेखयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• लिङ्गतः: with reference to the liṅga / from the liṅga
• लिङ्गतः: हेतु/अपादानार्थ (Ablatival relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb, “from/with reference to”); अर्थे—‘लिङ्गस्य अपेक्षया’

• भद्र-मण्डलम्: auspicious circle/diagram
• भद्र-मण्डलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive)

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: समुच्चय/विकल्प (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• सर्वतः-भद्रम्: sarvatobhadra (all-auspicious) diagram
• सर्वतः-भद्रम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय) + भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समास (adverbial determinative)

• मण्डप-अन्तः: inside the pavilion
• मण्डप-अन्तः: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative sense as place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: “of the pavilion—inside”)

• प्रकल्पयेत्: should arrange/construct
• प्रकल्पयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-worship procedures to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General liturgical instruction: inscribe an auspicious maṇḍala centered on/around the liṅga, or arrange a sarvatobhadra within the maṇḍapa.

Significance: Emphasizes correct sacred-space construction (kṣetra-śuddhi) as supportive of effective liṅga-upāsanā and merit on Śivarātri.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the worship space must be consciously sacralized—by an auspicious maṇḍala centered on the Liṅga—so the devotee’s mind becomes ordered, pure, and receptive to Shiva’s grace (anugraha), supporting the Shaiva aim of liberation through devotion and right practice.

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

The Liṅga is Saguna Shiva’s worship-form through which the formless (Nirguṇa) is approached. Drawing the maṇḍala ‘with reference to the Liṅga’ makes the Liṅga the axis of the rite, turning the entire maṇḍapa into a focused field for offerings, mantra, and contemplation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Prepare the maṇḍapa and mark a bhadra-maṇḍala (or sarvatobhadra layout) around the Liṅga, then proceed with mantra-japa (commonly the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), dhyāna on Shiva, and orderly upacāras; the verse emphasizes sacred spatial arrangement as part of the sādhanā.