Shloka 156

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

Devanagari script

लक्षणैस्तारकाद्यैस्ते ह्य् अष्टधा तु व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

lakṣaṇaistārakādyaiste hy aṣṭadhā tu vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

Nach ihren unterscheidenden Merkmalen — beginnend mit dem Typus «Tāraka» — sind sie wahrlich in acht Kategorien geordnet.

Word by Word

• लक्षणैः (lakṣaṇaiḥ): by distinguishing marks/characteristics

• तारकाद्यैः (tārakādyaiḥ): beginning with the Tāraka (type/name) and others

• ते (te): they (those previously mentioned)

• हि (hi): indeed

• अष्टधा (aṣṭadhā): eightfold/in eight ways

• तु (tu): moreover/indeed

• व्यवस्थिताः (vyavasthitāḥ): arranged/classified/established

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Purana to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes that Lingas (or sacred Shaiva forms) are not treated as a single undifferentiated symbol; they are recognized through specific lakṣaṇas and classified into an eightfold system, guiding correct installation and worship.

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

Shiva as Pati is one, yet His worshipful manifestations are approached through ordered forms and recognizable marks; the verse reflects a Siddhanta-style harmony of transcendent unity with practical, rule-based upāsanā.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It implies lakṣaṇa-parīkṣā—examining the defining marks of the worship-support (liṅga) before consecration—and, in yogic terms, selecting a properly defined ālambana (support) for focused Pashupata-style contemplation.