Shloka 73

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

Devanagari script

दिव्यं शब्दमयं रूपम् आस्थाय प्रहसन् स्थितः अकारस्तस्य मूर्धा तु ललाटं दीर्घमुच्यते

Transliteration

divyaṃ śabdamayaṃ rūpam āsthāya prahasan sthitaḥ akārastasya mūrdhā tu lalāṭaṃ dīrghamucyate

Translation

Assuming a divine form made of sacred sound, He stood there, smiling. Of that sound-formed presence, the syllable “A” is declared to be the head, and the long, extended brow is spoken of as His forehead.

Word by Word

• दिव्यम्: divine

• शब्दमयम्: constituted of sound (mantra)

• रूपम्: form

• आस्थाय: having assumed/taken refuge in

• प्रहसन्: smiling, gently laughing

• स्थितः: stood/abided

• अकारः: the letter/syllable ‘a’

• तस्य: of that (form)

• मूर्धा: head/crown

• तु: indeed

• ललाटम्: forehead/brow

• दीर्घम्: long/extended

• उच्यते: is said/declared

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga’s manifestation to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga-upasana in mantra-tattva: Shiva’s Linga is not merely a visible emblem but a śabda-maya (sound-constituted) revelation, approached through sacred syllables and disciplined recitation.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati whose form is divine sound itself—transcendent yet communicable through mantra—showing that consciousness (Cit) manifests as śabda to liberate the paśu from pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A mantra-body contemplation (nyāsa/bhāvanā) is implied: meditating on the syllables (beginning with “A”) as Shiva’s limbs, integrating japa with inner visualization in a Pāśupata-oriented approach.