Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 42

दक्षयज्ञध्वंसः—वीरभद्रप्रेषणं, देवविष्ण्वोः पराजयः, पुनरनुग्रहः

Devanagari script

शमं जगाम शनकैः शान्तस्तस्थौ तदाज्ञया देवो ऽपि तत्र भगवान् अन्तरिक्षे वृषध्वजः

Transliteration

śamaṃ jagāma śanakaiḥ śāntastasthau tadājñayā devo 'pi tatra bhagavān antarikṣe vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Allmählich kehrte er zur Ruhe zurück; besänftigt stand er still, jenem Befehl gehorchend. Und dort, im mittleren Himmelsraum, blieb auch der selige Herr gegenwärtig — Śiva, dessen Banner den Stier trägt.

Word by Word

• शमम् (śamam): calm, cessation of agitation

• जगाम (jagāma): went/attained

• शनकैः (śanakaiḥ): gradually, little by little

• शान्तः (śāntaḥ): pacified, tranquil

• तस्थौ (tasthau): stood, remained

• तदाज्ञया (tad-ājñayā): by that command/at that order

• देवः (devaḥ): the god, the divine one

• अपि (api): also

• तत्र (tatra): there

• भगवान् (bhagavān): the Blessed Lord

• अन्तरिक्षे (antarikṣe): in the mid-region/sky

• वृषध्वजः (vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ): ‘Bull-bannered’, Shiva

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It emphasizes śānti (pacification) and obedience to Shiva’s ājñā as prerequisites for approaching the Lord—an inner discipline that supports outward Linga-pūjā.

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

Shiva appears as Vṛṣadhvaja, sovereign and present even in the antarikṣa, indicating Pati—transcendent yet immanent—whose command stills agitation and restores order.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A Pāśupata-aligned takeaway: gradual calming (śanakaiḥ śama) and steadiness (tasthau) through submission to the Lord’s directive—mind-restraint supporting worship and liberation of the paśu from pāśa.