Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

शरभप्रादुर्भावो नाम षण्णवतितमोऽध्यायः (जलन्धरविमर्दनम्)

Devanagari script

कृत्वार्णवांभसि सितं भगवान् रथाङ्गं स्मृत्वा जगत्त्रयमनेन हताः सुराश् च दक्षान्धकान्तकपुरत्रययज्ञहर्ता लोकत्रयान्तककरः प्रहसंतदाह

Transliteration

kṛtvārṇavāṃbhasi sitaṃ bhagavān rathāṅgaṃ smṛtvā jagattrayamanena hatāḥ surāś ca dakṣāndhakāntakapuratrayayajñahartā lokatrayāntakakaraḥ prahasaṃtadāha

Translation

The Blessed Lord, recalling the three worlds, fashioned in the waters of the cosmic ocean a radiant white rathāṅga. By that very act the gods were struck down. He—who destroyed Dakṣa, slew Andhaka, seized away the sacrifice, and brought down the three cities—who can also end the three worlds—then laughed and spoke.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having made/fashioned

• अर्णव-अम्भसि: in the ocean-waters

• सितम्: white, radiant

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord (Pati, Śiva)

• रथाङ्गम्: discus (cakra-like wheel-weapon)

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered/recalled

• जगत्-त्रयम्: the three worlds

• अनेन: by this/with this

• हताः: struck down, slain

• सुराः: the gods

• च: and

• दक्ष-अन्धक-अन्तक: destroyer of Dakṣa and slayer of Andhaka

• पुर-त्रय: the three cities (Tripura)

• यज्ञ-हर्ता: one who seizes/overthrows the sacrifice

• लोक-त्रय-अन्तक-करः: capable of causing the end of the three worlds

• प्रहसन्: laughing

• तदा: then

• आह: said/spoke

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Devas
• Daksha
• Andhaka
• Tripura

FAQs

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

It establishes Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord whose will governs even the devas and the cosmic order—so Linga worship is presented as surrender to the source of all ritual power, not merely a secondary deity within ritual.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as transcendent and sovereign over the three worlds: he can create a weapon by mere remembrance and can dissolve cosmic structures (yajña, Tripura, even loka-traya), revealing the Lord as the ultimate controller of creation and dissolution.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse critiques ritualism divorced from devotion and right knowledge: yajña is valid only when aligned with Shiva as Pati; in a Pāśupata sense, it points to dissolving egoic ‘deva-pride’ and pasha (bondage) through surrender and inner discipline rather than mere external rite.