Shloka 70

मुनिमोहशमनम्

Pāśupata-yoga, Siddhis, Puruṣa-darśana, Saṃsāra, and Prāṇa-Rudra Pañcāhutī

Devanagari script

विज्ञेयस्तामसो नाम तत्रैव परिवर्तते सात्त्विकश्चापि संसारो ब्रह्मादिः परिकीर्तितः

Transliteration

vijñeyastāmaso nāma tatraiva parivartate sāttvikaścāpi saṃsāro brahmādiḥ parikīrtitaḥ

Translation

اعلم أن هناك دورة تُسمّى “tāmasa”؛ فهي تعود وتدور مراراً في ذلك المجال نفسه. وكذلك أُعلن عن دورة “sāttvika” للوجود المتناسخ—المبتدئة ببراهما (Brahmā). (وهكذا يدور الـpaśu، المقيَّد بـpāśa على هيئة الغونات guṇa، في السَّمسار حتى يتوجه إلى Pati، شيفا (Śiva).)

Word by Word

• विज्ञेयः: is to be known/understood

• तामसः: tamasic (dominated by tamas)

• नाम: by name/called

• तत्र एव: there itself/in that very domain

• परिवर्तते: revolves/recurs/turns about

• सात्त्विकः: sattvic (dominated by sattva)

• च अपि: and also

• संसारः: transmigratory existence/cycle of rebirth

• ब्रह्म-आदिः: beginning with Brahmā

• परिकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the doctrinal teaching within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It frames worldly existence as guṇa-driven cycles (tāmasa and sāttvika); Linga worship is implied as a Shaiva means to reorient the pashu from guṇa-bound recurrence toward Pati (Śiva), the transcendent ground beyond the guṇas.

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

By contrasting recurring guṇa-conditioned samsara with the need to ‘know’ these cycles, it points to Śiva-tattva as that which is not merely another turn within the guṇas—Pati who enables discernment (viveka) and release from pasha.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse is doctrinal rather than procedural, but it supports Pāśupata-style practice of guṇa-viveka and detachment—using Śiva-upāsanā (Linga-centered worship/meditation) to move beyond tamasic and even sattvic bondage into Śiva’s grace.