शिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यम्The greatness of the Śiva-liṅga
Verse 25
प्रतिष्ठापूर्वसायाह्ने देवतां योऽधिवासयेत् । सोऽश्वमेधायुतफलं लभते साधकोत्तमः ॥ २५ ॥
pratiṣṭhāpūrvasāyāhnē dēvatāṁ yō’dhivāsayēt | sō’śvamēdhāyutaphalaṁ labhatē sādhakōttamaḥ || 25 ||
Translation
He who performs the adhivāsa of the deity in the evening before the installation, that best of sādhakas gains the fruit of ten thousand horse-sacrifices.
Word by word
- pratiṣṭhā
- of the installation
- pūrva
- before
- sāyāhnē
- in the evening
- dēvatāṁ
- the deity
- yō
- (yaḥ) who
- adhivāsayēt
- performs the adhivāsa of
- sō
- (saḥ) he
- aśva
- horse
- mēdha
- sacrifices
- ayuta
- (ayuta) ten thousand
- phalaṁ
- the fruit
- labhatē
- gains
- sādhaka
- of sādhakas
- uttamaḥ
- (uttamaḥ) the best
Meaning
With this verse the commentary says the rite of installing the fixed liṅga begins. Adhivāsa is the preparatory consecration on the eve, when the deity is invited to dwell in the image and the things of the rite are made ready.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
Now he tells the rite of installing the fixed Śiva-liṅga, in the verses beginning "pratiṣṭhāpūrvasāyāhne".