Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 173

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

Devanagari script

गुरुस्तुष्टो दहत्येवं पापं तन्मन्त्रतेजसा ब्रह्मा हरिस् तथा रुद्रो देवाश् च मुनयस् तथा

Transliteration

gurustuṣṭo dahatyevaṃ pāpaṃ tanmantratejasā brahmā haris tathā rudro devāś ca munayas tathā

Translation

When the Guru is pleased, he thus burns away sin by the fiery power of that mantra. In the same way, Brahmā, Hari (Viṣṇu), Rudra, the gods, and the sages act through mantra and grace.

Word by Word

• गुरुः (guruḥ): the Guru/spiritual preceptor

• तुष्टः (tuṣṭaḥ): pleased, satisfied

• दहति (dahati): burns, consumes

• एवम् (evam): thus

• पापम् (pāpam): sin, demerit

• तत्-मन्त्र-तेजसा (tan-mantra-tejasā): by the radiance/power of that mantra

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā): Brahmā

• हरिः (hariḥ): Hari/Viṣṇu

• तथा (tathā): likewise

• रुद्रः (rudraḥ): Rudra/Śiva

• देवाः (devāḥ): the gods

• च (ca): and

• मुनयः (munayaḥ): sages

• तथा (tathā): likewise/also

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the doctrine of mantra and Guru’s grace within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Brahma
• Vishnu (Hari)
• Rudra (Shiva)
• Devas
• Munis

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga-pūjā in Guru-kr̥pā and mantra-tejas: when the preceptor is pleased and the mantra is rightly received, pāpa is burned, making worship spiritually effective and purifying the pashu (bound soul).

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

By placing Rudra alongside cosmic authorities, it implies that purification and uplift occur through divine agency expressed as mantra and grace—Shiva as Pati empowers the mantra that cuts pasha (bondage) and restores the soul toward liberation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-dīkṣā and disciplined japa under a satisfied Guru—central to Pāśupata-oriented sādhana—where mantra’s tejas is the purificatory force that consumes accumulated demerit.