Shloka 24

नैमिषारण्ये सूतागमनम् — लिङ्गमाहात्म्यभूमिका तथा शब्दब्रह्म-ओङ्कार-लिङ्गतत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

सर्गप्रतिष्ठासंहारलीलार्थं लिङ्गरूपिणम् प्रणम्य च यथान्यायं वक्ष्ये लिङ्गोद्भवं शुभम्

Transliteration

sargapratiṣṭhāsaṃhāralīlārthaṃ liṅgarūpiṇam praṇamya ca yathānyāyaṃ vakṣye liṅgodbhavaṃ śubham

Translation

Having bowed in the proper manner to the Lord who assumes the form of the Liṅga for the divine play of creation, establishment, and dissolution, I shall now expound the auspicious manifestation of the Liṅga (Liṅgodbhava).

Word by Word

• सर्ग (sarga): creation

• प्रतिष्ठा (pratiṣṭhā): establishment/sustaining order

• संहार (saṃhāra): dissolution/withdrawal

• लीला (līlā): divine play

• अर्थम् (artham): for the purpose of

• लिङ्गरूपिणम् (liṅgarūpiṇam): the One whose form is the Liṅga

• प्रणम्य (praṇamya): having bowed/saluted

• च (ca): and

• यथान्यायम् (yathānyāyam): according to rule/propriety

• वक्ष्ये (vakṣye): I shall speak/expound

• लिङ्गोद्भवम् (liṅgodbhavam): the arising/manifestation of the Liṅga

• शुभम् (śubham): auspicious/beneficent

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Liṅga-worship as reverence to Shiva himself—who takes the Liṅga-form for the cosmic functions of sṛṣṭi (creation), sthiti/pratiṣṭhā (establishment), and saṃhāra (dissolution)—and introduces Liṅgodbhava as an auspicious revelation.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati, the sovereign Lord whose Liṅga-form signifies the transcendent source behind the universe’s arising, ordering, and withdrawal—acts performed as līlā, not from limitation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights yathā-nyāya praṇāma—proper, rule-aligned salutations and devotional humility—as the foundational discipline before receiving teachings on the Liṅga’s manifestation and its contemplative significance.