Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 137

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

ससमुद्रामिमां पृथ्वीं सप्तद्वीपां सपर्वताम् भूराद्यांश् चतुरो लोकान् पुनः सो ऽथ व्यकल्पयत्

Transliteration

sasamudrāmimāṃ pṛthvīṃ saptadvīpāṃ saparvatām bhūrādyāṃś caturo lokān punaḥ so 'tha vyakalpayat

Translation

Then he re-ordered creation once again—this earth encircled by oceans, with its seven continents and mountains—and he reconstituted the four worlds beginning with Bhūḥ. Thus the cosmic arrangement was set anew under the Lord’s sovereign will.

Word by Word

• sa-samudrām: with oceans

• imām: this

• pṛthvīm: earth

• sapta-dvīpām: having seven continents

• sa-parvatām: with mountains

• bhūḥ-ādyān: beginning with Bhūḥ (the terrestrial realm)

• caturaḥ: four

• lokān: worlds/planes

• punaḥ: again

• saḥ: he

• atha: then

• vyakalpayat: arranged/constituted anew (reconfigured creation)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the cosmic account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

FAQs

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

By portraying the Lord as the one who reconstitutes earth, oceans, and the worlds, the verse supports Linga worship as devotion to Pati—the supreme governor of srishti—whose cosmic stability is invoked through the Linga.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as sovereign and ordering intelligence: the Lord does not merely create but ‘re-configures’ the lokas, showing mastery over manifestation while remaining the transcendent Pati beyond pasha (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is named, but the teaching aligns with Pashupata Yoga’s aim: the pashu (individual soul) disciplines itself to mirror divine order, stabilizing mind and conduct as the worlds are stabilized by Pati.