Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 97

Adhyaya 40: Kali-yuga Lakshana, Yuga-sandhyamsha, and the Re-emergence of Dharma

Devanagari script

तुल्याभिमानिनः सर्वे नामरूपैर्भवन्त्युत देवा ह्यष्टविधा ये च ये च मन्वन्तरेश्वराः

Transliteration

tulyābhimāninaḥ sarve nāmarūpairbhavantyuta devā hyaṣṭavidhā ye ca ye ca manvantareśvarāḥ

Translation

All of them are equal in abhimāna (self-sense), and yet they become distinguished by name and form. These are the gods of eightfold classification, as well as those who preside over the Manvantaras.

Word by Word

• tulya: equal

• abhimāninaḥ: those possessing self-identification/ego-sense

• sarve: all

• nāma-rūpaiḥ: by names and forms

• bhavanti: become/manifest

• uta: indeed/also

• devāḥ: the gods

• hi: indeed

• aṣṭa-vidhāḥ: eightfold in kinds

• ye ca ye ca: and those who

• manvantara-īśvarāḥ: lords/presiding rulers of the Manvantara (cosmic epoch)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the cosmological taxonomy within the Purva-Bhaga discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Manvantara-Ishvaras

FAQs

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

It frames the devatās—including Manvantara rulers—as differentiated primarily by nāma-rūpa, implying that worship centered on the Linga (Pati, Shiva) targets the transcendent source beyond such cosmic classifications.

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

By emphasizing that gods are defined through name-form and abhimāna, the verse implicitly contrasts them with Shiva-tattva as Pati—beyond limiting upādhis—who is approached through the Linga as the sign of the formless Absolute.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata discipline: loosening abhimāna and attachment to nāma-rūpa through Shiva-dhyāna and Linga-upāsanā, aiming for the Pashu’s release from Pāśa under Pati’s grace.