Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 115

वासिष्ठकथनम् (आदित्य–सोमवंशवर्णनम् तथा रुद्रसहस्रनाम-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

नाभिर् नन्दिकरो हर्म्यः पुष्करः स्थपतिः स्थितः सर्वशास्त्रो धनश्चाद्यो यज्ञो यज्वा समाहितः

Transliteration

nābhir nandikaro harmyaḥ puṣkaraḥ sthapatiḥ sthitaḥ sarvaśāstro dhanaścādyo yajño yajvā samāhitaḥ

Translation

He is Nābhi, the cosmic center; the Giver of auspicious joy; the Lofty Abode; Puṣkara, the sacred lotus-lake; the Architect (Sthapati) and the Ever-Established. He is the Knower of all Śāstras, Wealth itself and the Primal One; the Sacrifice and the Sacrificer, perfectly gathered in yogic equipoise.

Word by Word

• nābhiḥ: the navel/cosmic hub

• nandikaraḥ: giver of joy and auspiciousness

• harmyaḥ: lofty mansion/august abode

• puṣkaraḥ: sacred lotus/lake (purifying source)

• sthapatiḥ: architect/master-builder (of the worlds)

• sthitaḥ: firmly established/unchanging

• sarvaśāstraḥ: knower/embodiment of all scriptures

• dhanaḥ: wealth/treasure

• ca: and

• ādyaḥ: the first/primal

• yajñaḥ: sacrifice (yajña as a divine principle)

• yajvā: sacrificer/one who performs yajña

• samāhitaḥ: concentrated, composed, absorbed in meditation.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s epithets to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga-Lord as both the inner center (nābhi) and the outer support (sthapati, sthita), teaching that Linga-pūjā unites cosmic order, Vedic yajña, and inner yogic steadiness.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati—the primal, self-established reality—who is simultaneously the source of śāstra, the principle of sacrifice, and the meditative consciousness (samāhita) that frees the paśu from pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights yajña as sacred action offered to Shiva, and samāhita as the Pāśupata-oriented discipline of collected mind—making worship effective through inner absorption alongside outer rite.