Shloka 40

ईशानकल्पवृत्तान्तः तथा लैङ्गपुराणस्य संक्षेप-सूची

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणः परमं ज्ञानम् आदातुं मीनता हरेः सर्वावस्थासु विष्णोश् च जननं लीलयैव तु

Transliteration

brahmaṇaḥ paramaṃ jñānam ādātuṃ mīnatā hareḥ sarvāvasthāsu viṣṇoś ca jananaṃ līlayaiva tu

Translation

ব্রহ্মার পরম জ্ঞান গ্রহণ করতে হরি মীনরূপ ধারণ করেছিলেন; আর বিষ্ণুর প্রকাশ সকল অবস্থাতেই কেবল লীলারূপে ঘটে।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः (brahmaṇaḥ): of Brahmā

• परमं (paramaṃ): supreme

• ज्ञानम् (jñānam): knowledge

• आदातुम् (ādātuṃ): to take/receive

• मीनता (mīnatā): fish-form/being a fish

• हरेः (hareḥ): of Hari (Viṣṇu)

• सर्वावस्थासु (sarvāvasthāsu): in all states/conditions

• विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ): of Viṣṇu

• च (ca): and

• जननम् (jananaṃ): birth/manifestation

• लीलया एव (līlayā eva): only as play

• तु (tu): indeed

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahma

FAQs

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

By framing divine manifestations as līlā, the verse supports a Shaiva reading where all forms and avataras are subordinate appearances within the greater reality of Pati—ultimately directing devotion toward the formless-yet-signifying Linga of Mahādeva.

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

Though it names Hari and Brahmā, the doctrinal implication in the Linga Purana’s Shaiva horizon is that all conditioned births and states are līlā—while Shiva-tattva (Pati) is the unconditioned ground that transcends avasthās and governs the cosmos through power (śakti).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway is contemplative: in Pāśupata-oriented practice, the sādhaka cultivates vairāgya by recognizing all worldly states (avasthās) as transient līlā, stabilizing attention on Pati (Śiva) through Linga-upāsanā and inner recollection.