Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

जम्बूद्वीपस्य नववर्षविभागः रुद्रस्य अष्टक्षेत्रसन्निधिः नाभि-ऋषभ-भरतकथा

Devanagari script

बभूव तस्मिंस्तद्राज्यं भरतः संन्यवेशयत् पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीको वनं राजा विवेश सः

Transliteration

babhūva tasmiṃstadrājyaṃ bharataḥ saṃnyaveśayat putrasaṃkrāmitaśrīko vanaṃ rājā viveśa saḥ

Translation

Then Bharata duly established that kingdom. Having transferred the royal splendor and the burden of rule to his son, the king entered the forest and embraced renunciation—turning from worldly sovereignty to the higher path, knowing that Pati (Lord Śiva) alone is the true refuge of the paśu (individual soul).

Word by Word

• बभूव: became/occurred

• तस्मिन्: then/in that time

• तत्-राज्यम्: that kingdom

• भरतः: Bharata

• संन्यवेशयत्: established/settled/installed

• पुत्र-संक्रामित-श्रीकः: one whose royal fortune/majesty (śrī) was transferred to his son

• वनम्: to the forest

• राजा: the king

• विवेश: entered

• सः: he

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Bharata

FAQs

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

It frames true worship as inner offering: the king relinquishes śrī (worldly sovereignty) and turns toward forest-renunciation, echoing the Shaiva ideal that devotion to the Linga is strengthened by detachment and surrender to Pati (Śiva).

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

By contrasting transferred royal splendor with the forest path, it implies that all external power is impermanent, while Shiva-tattva as Pati is the stable refuge beyond changing fortune—guiding the paśu toward freedom from pāśa (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights vairāgya and vānaprastha/saṁnyāsa-oriented discipline—an inner prerequisite aligned with Pāśupata-style practice where restraint and withdrawal from possession support Shiva-centered realization.