Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15

अध्याय ८२ — व्यपोहनस्तवः (पापव्यपोहन-स्तोत्रम्)

Devanagari script

अपर्णा वरदा देवी वरदानैकतत्परा उमा सुरहरा साक्षात् कौशिकी वा कपर्दिनी

Transliteration

aparṇā varadā devī varadānaikatatparā umā suraharā sākṣāt kauśikī vā kapardinī

Translation

She is Aparṇā, the boon-giving Goddess, wholly intent on granting blessings. She is Umā, who directly slays the hostile powers; she is Kauśikī, and also Kapardinī, bearer of the matted locks—Śakti herself, inseparable from Śiva, the Pati who frees the paśu from pāśa.

Word by Word

• अपर्णा (aparṇā): Aparna, the austere Goddess (who renounced even leaves)

• वरदा (varadā): giver of boons

• देवी (devī): Goddess, Divine Lady

• वरदान-एक-तत्परा (varadānaika-tatparā): solely devoted to granting boons

• उमा (umā): Uma (the auspicious Mother, Śiva’s Śakti)

• सुरहरा (suraharā): slayer/remover of (hostile) suras/forces

• साक्षात् (sākṣāt): directly, manifestly

• कौशिकी (kauśikī): Kaushiki, the radiant Goddess born of the sheath (kośa) / associated with Kuśika lineage

• वा (vā): and/also

• कपर्दिनी (kapardinī): she who has braided/matted hair (jaṭā), an epithet of the Goddess

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya, within a Devi-stuti context)

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Uma
• Kaushiki
• Aparna
• Kapardini
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Śiva-pūjā as incomplete without Śakti: invoking Umā/Aparṇā as Varadā emphasizes that boons and siddhi in Liṅga worship arise through Śiva-Śakti’s united grace.

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

By naming the Goddess as Kapardinī and “sākṣāt” (manifest), it implies Śiva-tattva is not abstract alone: the Pati is revealed with His Śakti, whose power grants boons and destroys obstructive forces.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A nāma-japa/ stuti approach: reciting Devi epithets (Aparṇā, Umā, Kauśikī, Kapardinī) as part of Liṅga-pūjā supports Pāśupata-oriented sādhana by seeking anugraha (grace) to loosen pāśa (bondage).