Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 109

वासिष्ठकथनम् (आदित्य–सोमवंशवर्णनम् तथा रुद्रसहस्रनाम-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

महाबलो महातेजा ह्य् अन्तरात्मा मृगालयः लम्बितोष्ठश् च निष्ठश् च महामायः पयोनिधिः

Transliteration

mahābalo mahātejā hy antarātmā mṛgālayaḥ lambitoṣṭhaś ca niṣṭhaś ca mahāmāyaḥ payonidhiḥ

Translation

He is of immense power and vast splendor; indeed He is the Inner Self. He is the One whose abode is among the beasts, the Lord of all creatures. With pendulous lips, steadfast and unwavering, He is Mahāmāyā, the oceanic source from which all flows.

Word by Word

• महाबलः: of great strength

• महातेजाः: of great radiance/fiery splendor

• हि: indeed

• अन्तरात्मा: the Inner Self/indwelling Witness

• मृगालयः: whose dwelling is among animals, Lord of beasts (Paśupati)

• लम्बितोष्ठः: having hanging/pendulous lips

• च: and

• निष्ठः: firmly established, unwavering

• च: and

• महामायः: wielder of great Māyā, supreme enchanter

• पयोनिधिः: ocean/sea, storehouse of waters (vast source).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva-Sahasranama to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

By naming Shiva as Antarātman and Paśupati, the verse anchors Linga worship in inner realization (the indwelling Pati) and compassionate lordship over all beings (paśus), making the Linga a focus for both devotion and self-knowledge.

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

It presents Shiva as the radiant, all-powerful Pati who abides as the Witness within (antarātmā), yet also operates as Mahāmāyā—the sovereign power through which the world-appearance and its bonds (pāśa) function.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The emphasis is yogic: meditate on Shiva as the Antarātman while worshiping the Linga externally—uniting inner Pashupata contemplation with outward pūjā to loosen pāśa and orient the paśu toward the Pati.