Shloka 3

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

किं लिङ्गं कस् तथा लिङ्गी सूत वक्तुमिहार्हसि रोमहर्षण उवाच एवं देवाश् च ऋषयः प्रणिपत्य पितामहम्

Transliteration

kiṃ liṅgaṃ kas tathā liṅgī sūta vaktumihārhasi romaharṣaṇa uvāca evaṃ devāś ca ṛṣayaḥ praṇipatya pitāmaham

Translation

“What is the Liṅga, and who indeed is the Liṅgin—the Lord who bears the Liṅga? O Sūta, you are fit to explain this here.” Romaharṣaṇa said: “Thus the Devas and the Ṛṣis, having bowed down, approached Pitāmaha (Brahmā).”

Word by Word

• किम् (kim): what?

• लिङ्गम् (liṅgam): the Linga, the sacred sign/mark (of Pati, Śiva)

• कः (kaḥ): who?

• तथा (tathā): and also/likewise

• लिङ्गी (liṅgī): the bearer/possessor of the Linga (Lingin—Śiva as Pati)

• सूत (sūta): O Sūta

• वक्तुम् (vaktum): to speak/explain

• इह (iha): here

• अर्हसि (arhasi): you are worthy/fit

• रोमहर्षणः (romaharṣaṇaḥ): Romaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• एवम् (evam): thus

• देवाः (devāḥ): the gods

• च (ca): and

• ऋषयः (ṛṣayaḥ): the sages

• प्रणिपत्य (praṇipatya): having bowed down/prostrated

• पितामहम् (pitāmaham): Pitāmaha, the Grandfather—Brahmā

Speaker

Romaharshana (Suta)

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Rishis
• Brahma (Pitamaha)

FAQs

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

It frames the central doctrinal inquiry—what the Linga signifies and who the Lingin is—establishing Linga worship as grounded in tattva (principle) rather than mere symbol.

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

By distinguishing “Linga” (the revelatory sign) from “Lingin” (its possessor), it points to Śiva as Pati—the transcendent Lord known through His manifest sign, guiding bound souls (paśu) beyond bondage (pāśa).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it initiates the teaching context that later supports Pāśupata orientation—approaching the guru/source with reverence to receive Linga-tattva and the disciplines of Śiva-upāsanā.