Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8

ग्रहाद्यधिपत्याभिषेकः

Cosmic Consecrations of Lords of Planets and Domains

Devanagari script

स्त्रीणां देवीमुमां देवीं वचसां च सरस्वतीम् विष्णुं मायाविनां चैव स्वात्मानं जगतां तथा

Transliteration

strīṇāṃ devīmumāṃ devīṃ vacasāṃ ca sarasvatīm viṣṇuṃ māyāvināṃ caiva svātmānaṃ jagatāṃ tathā

Translation

Among women, He is revered through the Goddess Umā; among speech, through the Goddess Sarasvatī; among the wielders of māyā, as Viṣṇu; and likewise, for all beings in the worlds, as their own innermost Self—thus is the Lord remembered as the one Reality appearing in many forms.

Word by Word

• strīṇām: among women

• devīm: the Goddess (as a divine power)

• umām: Umā (Pārvatī, Śiva-Śakti)

• devīm (repeated): the Goddess (as the supreme feminine principle)

• vacasām: of speech/words

• ca: and

• sarasvatīm: Sarasvatī (goddess of speech and knowledge)

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu

• māyāvinām: of those possessing māyā / masters of illusion

• caiva: and indeed/also

• svātmānam: one’s own Self (inner ātman)

• jagatām: of the worlds/of beings in the worlds

• tathā: likewise/so also.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya; verse in a stuti-style enumeration)

Characters & Entities

• Uma
• Sarasvati
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It supports Linga-upāsanā by teaching ekatva (one Lord) behind many divine names—so worship of the Linga is worship of the inner Pati who appears as Umā, Sarasvatī, and even Viṣṇu according to function.

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

It presents Shiva-tattva as the single Reality that pervades all categories: as Śakti (Umā), as knowledge/speech (Sarasvatī), as māyā-governance (Viṣṇu), and as the svātmā within all jagats—Pati immanent in every pashu.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway is smaraṇa and tattva-dhyāna: remembering the Lord as the indwelling Self in all beings, a core contemplative stance aligned with Pāśupata-oriented devotion and non-dual theistic meditation.