Shloka 11

Adhyaya 75: Nishkala–Sakala Shiva, Twofold Linga, and the Supremacy of Dhyana-Yajna

Devanagari script

पुष्करावर्तकाद्यास्तु केशास्तस्य प्रकीर्तिताः वायवो घ्राणजास्तस्य गतिः श्रौतं स्मृतिस् तथा

Transliteration

puṣkarāvartakādyāstu keśāstasya prakīrtitāḥ vāyavo ghrāṇajāstasya gatiḥ śrautaṃ smṛtis tathā

Translation

His hairs are proclaimed to be the whirlpools beginning with Puṣkara-āvarta; from His sense of smell arise the winds. His movement accords with the Śrauta (Vedic sacrificial) order, and so too does the remembered tradition (Smṛti).

Word by Word

• puṣkara-āvarta-kādyāḥ: beginning with the Puṣkara whirlpool (and other eddies)

• tu: indeed

• keśāḥ: hairs

• tasya: of him (that cosmic Being)

• prakīrtitāḥ: are declared/celebrated

• vāyavaḥ: winds/airs

• ghrāṇajāḥ: born from the nose/sense of smell

• tasya: of him

• gatiḥ: motion/course/going

• śrautam: in conformity with Śruti/Śrauta ritual order

• smṛtiḥ: Smṛti/traditional law and recollection

• tathā: likewise/also.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames ritual order (Śrauta) and sacred tradition (Smṛti) as expressions of the cosmic Shiva-principle, implying that Linga-puja aligns the worshipper’s actions with Shiva’s universal ordinance.

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

Shiva-tattva is presented as the ground of cosmic correspondences: even winds and motion arise from the divine body, showing Pati as the inner ruler of creation’s functions rather than a merely anthropomorphic deity.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to Śrauta-aligned discipline and prāṇa-awareness: regulating vāyu (breath/airs) and conforming one’s conduct to Vedic dharma as preparatory supports for Pāśupata-oriented worship and inner alignment with Pati.