Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 144

ध्यानयोगेन रुद्रदर्शनम् — रुद्रावतार-परिवर्तक्रमः, लकुली (कायावतार), पाशुपतयोगः, लिङ्गार्चन-निष्ठा

Devanagari script

स देवदेवो भगवांस् तव लिङ्गार्चने रतः तव प्रणामपरमः कथं देवो ह्यभूत्प्रभुः

Transliteration

sa devadevo bhagavāṃs tava liṅgārcane rataḥ tava praṇāmaparamaḥ kathaṃ devo hyabhūtprabhuḥ

Translation

If that Blessed One—the Deva of devas—was devoted to the worship of Your Liṅga and held prostration to You as his highest act, then how could he ever become a lord in his own right? (For Pati alone is the true Prabhu, and all other deities attain greatness only through His Liṅga-worship.)

Word by Word

• स (sa): he/that one

• देवदेवः (devadevaḥ): God of gods

• भगवांस् (bhagavān): the Blessed Lord

• तव (tava): your

• लिङ्ग-अर्चने (liṅgārcane): in the worship of the Liṅga

• रतः (rataḥ): devoted/engaged

• तव (tava): your

• प्रणाम-परमः (praṇāma-paramaḥ): one for whom prostration is supreme

• कथम् (katham): how?

• देवः (devaḥ): a god

• हि (hi): indeed

• अभूत् (abhūt): became/was

• प्रभुः (prabhuḥ): lord/master

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating an internal theological point within the discourse on Linga-archana)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It asserts that even the highest devas gain their status through devotion to Shiva’s Liṅga; liṅgārcana is presented as the decisive marker of true spiritual authority grounded in Pati’s grace.

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

Shiva is implied as Pati—the ultimate Prabhu—before whom even “devadeva” figures bow; all other lordship is derivative, dependent on surrender and worship of Shiva’s Liṅga.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Liṅga-archana (ritual worship) joined with praṇāma (humble surrender), a core Shaiva discipline aligned with Pāśupata orientation where the paśu is freed from pāśa through devotion and divine anugraha (grace).