Shloka 4

नैमिषारण्ये सूतागमनम् — लिङ्गमाहात्म्यभूमिका तथा शब्दब्रह्म-ओङ्कार-लिङ्गतत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

हिरण्यगर्भे चन्द्रेशे ईशान्ये च त्रिविष्टपे शुक्रेश्वरे यथान्यायं नैमिषं प्रययौ मुनिः

Transliteration

hiraṇyagarbhe candreśe īśānye ca triviṣṭape śukreśvare yathānyāyaṃ naimiṣaṃ prayayau muniḥ

Translation

وبعد أن قدّم الحكيمُ تبجيلاً—وفق ما تقتضيه السنن المقدّسة—لهيرانياغربها (برهما)، ولتشاندرا بوصفه ربًّا، ولإيشانا، وللآلهة في سڤرغا (تريڤيشْتَپَا)، ولشوكرِيشْفَرَا، مضى إلى نَيْمِيشَا.

Word by Word

• हिरण्यगर्भे (hiraṇyagarbhe): to Hiraṇyagarbha/Brahmā

• चन्द्रेशे (candreśe): to Candra as lord (Moon-deity)

• ईशान्ये (īśānye): to Īśāna (Shiva in the Īśāna aspect/direction)

• च (ca): and

• त्रिविष्टपे (triviṣṭape): in/unto Triviṣṭapa (Svarga, the heaven of the Devas)

• शुक्रेश्वरे (śukreśvare): to Śukreśvara (Śukra as lord

• यथान्यायम् (yathānyāyaṃ): according to rule, as is proper

• नैमिषम् (naimiṣaṃ): to Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya)

• प्रययौ (prayayau): went forth, journeyed

• मुनिः (muniḥ): the sage

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrator) to the sages of Naimisharanya

Characters & Entities

• Hiranyagarbha (Brahma)
• Chandra
• Ishana (Shiva)
• Devas (Trivishtapa)
• Shukra (Shukreshvara)

FAQs

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

It establishes the Purāṇic rule of beginning sacred narration with proper salutations, culminating in reverence to Īśāna (Shiva), the Pati, before the teaching is delivered at Naimiṣāraṇya.

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

By naming Īśāna among the foremost objects of reverence, it signals Shiva’s Īśvara-status as Pati—worthy of worship even alongside cosmic governors—foreshadowing the Linga Purāṇa’s Shaiva metaphysics.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The practice is dhārmic pūrva-maṅgala (auspicious preliminaries): offering due salutations in the correct order (yathā-nyāya), a prerequisite mindset for Shaiva sādhanā and later Pāśupata-oriented disciplines.