Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

गन्धवर्णरसैर् हीनं शब्दस्पर्शविवर्जितम् अजरं ध्रुवमक्षय्यं नित्यं स्वात्मन्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

gandhavarṇarasair hīnaṃ śabdasparśavivarjitam ajaraṃ dhruvamakṣayyaṃ nityaṃ svātmanyavasthitam

Translation

He is devoid of smell, colour, and taste, and is free from sound and touch. Unaging, steadfast, undecaying, and eternal, he abides established in his own Self—Śiva, the Pati—beyond the grasp of the senses and the pāśa that bind the paśu.

Word by Word

• गन्ध (gandha): smell

• वर्ण (varṇa): colour/form

• रस (rasa): taste/essence

• हीनम् (hīnam): devoid of

• शब्द (śabda): sound

• स्पर्श (sparśa): touch

• विवर्जितम् (vivarjitam): completely free from

• अजरम् (ajaram): unaging

• ध्रुवम् (dhruvam): fixed/steadfast

• अक्षय्यम् (akṣayyam): imperishable/undecaying

• नित्यम् (nityam): eternal

• स्वात्मनि (svātmani): in His own Self

• अवस्थितम् (avasthitam): abiding/established

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes that the Linga ultimately signifies Śiva beyond sensory qualities; the external worship (bāhya-pūjā) is meant to lead the devotee toward inner realization of the imperishable Pati.

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

Śiva is presented as nirguṇa—beyond smell, colour, taste, sound, and touch—yet eternally self-established (svātmany avasthita), indicating the independent, unconditioned reality of Pati distinct from paśu and pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A Pāśupata-oriented meditation is implied: withdraw attention from the senses (pratyāhāra) and contemplate the steady, undecaying Śiva within, letting Linga-pūjā mature into inner dhyāna on nirguṇa Shiva.