Shloka 3

Aghora-Mantra Japa: Graded Expiations, Pañcagavya Purification, and Homa for Mahāpātaka-Nivṛtti

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महत्यादिकान् घोरांस् तथान्यानपि पातकान् हीनांश्चैव महाभाग तथैव विविधान्यपि

Transliteration

brahmahatyādikān ghorāṃs tathānyānapi pātakān hīnāṃścaiva mahābhāga tathaiva vividhānyapi

Translation

O Edler, diese Zucht/Übung Śivas vernichtet die schrecklichen Sünden, beginnend mit brahma-hatyā, sowie andere Vergehen—seien sie gering, entwürdigend oder vielfältig—, indem sie das pāśa (Band) durchtrennt, das den paśu (verkörperte Seele) bindet, und ihn dem Pati, Herrn Śiva, zuwendet.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महत्यादिकान्: sins beginning with brahma-hatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa)

• घोरान्: dreadful/terrible

• तथा: and likewise

• अन्यान्: other

• अपि: also

• पातकान्: sins/transgressions

• हीनान्: lesser/inferior/minor

• च एव: and indeed

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one

• तथा एव: just so/likewise

• विविधानि: various/manifold

• अपि: also

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya; internal addressee implied as a revered interlocutor, 'mahābhāga')

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Śiva-centered worship and discipline as a supreme purifier capable of neutralizing even the gravest pātakas (like brahma-hatyā), implying the Linga as a potent focus of śuddhi (purification) and inward turning toward Pati (Śiva).

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

Śiva-tattva is implied as the transcendent Pati whose grace and worship can sever pasha (bondage) that clings to the paśu (soul), restoring the soul’s orientation from impurity and karmic stain toward liberation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Prāyaścitta through Śiva-upāsanā—typically expressed in the Linga Purana as Śiva-pūjā, japa, vrata, and Pāśupata-aligned discipline—presented as effective across major and minor sins.