Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 53

देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च

Devanagari script

व्याघ्रचर्मधरो व्याली महाभूतो महानिधिः अमृताङ्गो ऽमृतवपुः पञ्चयज्ञः प्रभञ्जनः

Transliteration

vyāghracarmadharo vyālī mahābhūto mahānidhiḥ amṛtāṅgo 'mṛtavapuḥ pañcayajñaḥ prabhañjanaḥ

Translation

Er trägt das Tigerfell; Er ist der Herr der schlangenartigen Kraft; die große elementare Wirklichkeit und der weite Schatz des Seins. Seine Glieder sind unvergänglich und seine Gestalt unsterblich. Er ist das fünffache Opfer selbst und der stürmische Wind, der alle Fesseln zerschlägt.

Word by Word

• व्याघ्रचर्मधरः: wearer of a tiger-skin

• व्याली: lord/master of serpents (or the serpent-like one)

• महाभूतः: the Great Element / the cosmic elemental principle

• महानिधिः: great treasure, supreme storehouse

• अमृताङ्गः: whose limbs are immortal

• अमृतवपुः: whose body/form is immortal

• पञ्चयज्ञः: the fivefold sacrifice (embodiment of the pañca-yajñas)

• प्रभञ्जनः: the violent wind, the shatterer (of obstacles/bondage)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s Sahasranama to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as both ascetic and cosmic—tiger-skin-clad yet the very essence of yajña—teaching that Linga-puja unites renunciation with Vedic sacred duty, leading the pashu (soul) toward Pati (the Lord).

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

Shiva is described as the immortal reality (amṛtāṅga, amṛtavapuḥ) underlying the mahābhūtas, and as mahānidhi—the inexhaustible ground of consciousness and power that sustains and liberates.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to pañca-yajña as a daily discipline, and implies Pashupata Yoga’s aim: through worship and inner practice, the Lord as prabhañjana breaks pasha (bondage) so the pashu attains liberation.