Shloka 10

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

मनो महांस्तु विज्ञेयम् एकं तत्कारणं स्मृतम् समुत्पन्नं लिङ्गमात्रं क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितं हि तत्

Transliteration

mano mahāṃstu vijñeyam ekaṃ tatkāraṇaṃ smṛtam samutpannaṃ liṅgamātraṃ kṣetrajñādhiṣṭhitaṃ hi tat

Translation

Manas (Geist) zusammen mit Mahat ist als eines zu erkennen; man erinnert es als ein einziges ursächliches Prinzip. Daraus entsteht nur das subtile «Liṅga», das Zeichen; und dieses subtile Prinzip steht wahrlich unter der Herrschaft des Kṣetrajña—des Kenners des Feldes (Pati, Śiva).

Word by Word

• मनः (manaḥ): mind

• महत् (mahat): the Great Principle, cosmic intellect

• तु (tu): indeed

• विज्ञेयम् (vijñeyam): to be known/understood

• एकम् (ekam): one

• तत् (tat): that

• कारणम् (kāraṇam): cause/causal principle

• स्मृतम् (smṛtam): remembered/declared in tradition

• समुत्पन्नम् (samutpannam): arisen/produced

• लिङ्गमात्रम् (liṅga-mātram): only the subtle sign/mark (subtle body/indicator principle)

• क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितम् (kṣetrajña-adhiṣṭhitam): presided over/ensouled by the Knower of the Field

• हि (hi): indeed

• तत् (tat): that.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching as received within the Linga Purana’s tattva discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It links the idea of “liṅga” to the subtle sign/indicator principle arising in creation, ultimately presided over by the indwelling Lord (Kṣetrajña/Pati), grounding Linga worship in metaphysics rather than mere external symbolism.

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

Śiva is implied as the Kṣetrajña—conscious Pati—who presides over the subtle principle (liṅga-mātra) and thereby remains the inner ruler of the field (kṣetra) and its evolutes, distinct from Pāśa (bondage) and yet immanent as the indweller.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A contemplative, Pāśupata-aligned tattva-viveka is implied: discerning mind/mahat and the subtle liṅga (linga-śarīra) as dependent evolutes, while meditating on the Kṣetrajña (Śiva) as the presiding consciousness for liberation of the Paśu from Pāśa.