Shloka 63

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

Devanagari script

स वै शरीरी प्रथमः स वै पुरुष उच्यते तस्य वामाङ्गजो विष्णुः सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः

Transliteration

sa vai śarīrī prathamaḥ sa vai puruṣa ucyate tasya vāmāṅgajo viṣṇuḥ sarvadevanamaskṛtaḥ

Translation

Er ist wahrlich der erste Verkörperte; man nennt Ihn Puruṣa. Aus Seiner linken Seite wurde Viṣṇu geboren, von allen Göttern verehrt und gegrüßt.

Word by Word

• saḥ: He

• vai: indeed

• śarīrī: embodied one, possessor of a body (cosmic form)

• prathamaḥ: the first, primordial

• saḥ: He

• vai: indeed

• puruṣaḥ: the Cosmic Person, Supreme Person

• ucyate: is called

• tasya: of Him

• vāma-aṅga-jaḥ: born from the left limb/side

• viṣṇuḥ: Vishnu

• sarva-deva-namaskṛtaḥ: worshipped/saluted by all the gods

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas
• Puruṣa (Primordial Being)

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga theology in cosmogony: the supreme Pati (Lord) is the primordial Puruṣa from whom divine functions emanate; worship of the Linga honors that source beyond the devas, including the origin of Viṣṇu as a cosmic function.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as the first embodied cosmic principle (Puruṣa) who precedes and generates other deities; as Pati, He is the causal ground, while devas like Viṣṇu arise as manifestations for sustaining the cosmos.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse primarily highlights tattva-jñāna (metaphysical discernment) central to Pāśupata orientation: recognizing Pati as the primal source reduces pasha (bondage) for the paśu (soul) by redirecting devotion and contemplation to the supreme origin.