Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 141

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

राजप्रतिग्रहैर् दग्धान् ब्राह्मणान् ब्रह्मवादिनः स्विन्नानामपि बीजानां पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते

Transliteration

rājapratigrahair dagdhān brāhmaṇān brahmavādinaḥ svinnānāmapi bījānāṃ punarjanma na vidyate

Translation

Brahmins devoted to Brahman who become “burnt” by accepting gifts from kings do not regain their former spiritual vitality—just as seeds that have been steamed cannot sprout again.

Word by Word

• rāja: king

• pratigrahaiḥ: by acceptances of gifts (patronage)

• dagdhān: burned, spiritually scorched

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins

• brahma-vādinaḥ: proclaimers/knowers of Brahman (Vedic expounders)

• svinnānām: steamed, boiled by heat

• api: even

• bījānām: of seeds

• punar-janma: re-birth, re-sprouting

• na: not

• vidyate: is found/occurs

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

FAQs

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

It sets a purity standard for those who perform Shiva-puja and handle sacred dana: accepting corrupt patronage becomes a pasha (bond) that weakens mantra-tejas, making worship and teaching spiritually sterile—like steamed seed.

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

By implication, Shiva as Pati is attained through inner purity and freedom from pasha such as greed and compromised gifts; when the pashu is ‘burnt’ by unethical acceptance, its capacity for uplift toward Shiva-tattva is obstructed.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Dana-dharma discipline and priestly restraint: maintaining purity in receiving gifts so that puja, japa, and Vedic recitation retain efficacy—an ethical prerequisite aligned with Pashupata self-control (yama-like restraint).