Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9

ध्यानयज्ञः, संसार-विष-निरूपणम्, पाशुपतयोगः, परा-अपरा विद्या, चतुर्वस्था-विचारः (अध्यायः ८६)

Devanagari script

चुर्से ओफ़् संसार न विषं कालकूटाख्यं संसारो विषमुच्यते तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन संहरेत सुदारुणम्

Transliteration

curse of saṃsāra na viṣaṃ kālakūṭākhyaṃ saṃsāro viṣamucyate tasmātsarvaprayatnena saṃhareta sudāruṇam

Translation

لعنة السَّمْسارا ليست السُّمَّ المسمّى كَالاكُوطا؛ بل إن السَّمْسارا نفسها تُسمّى سُمًّا. فلذلك، وبكل جهد، ينبغي تحطيم هذا القيد الأشد فظاعة، لكي يتوجّه الباشو (النفس المقيّدة) إلى البَتي—الرب شِيفا، المُحرِّر.

Word by Word

• saṃsārasya: of saṃsāra (worldly becoming)

• śāpaḥ: curse, affliction

• na: not

• viṣam: poison

• kālakūṭa-ākhyam: named Kālakūṭa

• saṃsāraḥ: saṃsāra, transmigratory existence

• viṣam: poison

• ucyate: is said, is called

• tasmāt: therefore

• sarva-prayatnena: with all effort

• saṃharet: one should destroy, remove

• su-dāruṇam: very dreadful, exceedingly terrible

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

By calling saṃsāra itself “poison,” the verse frames Linga-worship as a practical antidote: devotion to Śiva as Pati and disciplined practice weaken pasha (bondage) and orient the soul toward liberation.

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

Implicitly, Śiva is the healing Pati: while saṃsāra is the true toxin, Śiva-tattva is the liberating reality that enables the Paśu to overcome bondage through grace and right striving.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It emphasizes sarva-prayatna—total effort—aligned with Pāśupata discipline: detachment (vairāgya), self-restraint, and Śiva-upāsanā (including Linga-pūjā) aimed at destroying the ‘dreadful’ pasha of saṃsāra.