Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 121

देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च

Devanagari script

जयस्तंभो विशिष्टम्भो नरसिंहनिपातनः ब्रह्मचारी लोकचारी धर्मचारी धनाधिपः

Transliteration

jayastaṃbho viśiṣṭambho narasiṃhanipātanaḥ brahmacārī lokacārī dharmacārī dhanādhipaḥ

Translation

He is the Pillar of Victory, the peerless and unsurpassed Support; the One who brought down Narasiṃha; the brahmacārin who moves among the worlds; the One who walks the path of Dharma; and the Lord of wealth—bestowing prosperity while remaining sovereign over all possessions.

Word by Word

• jaya-stambhaḥ: pillar/sign of victory

• viśiṣṭambhaḥ: distinguished, supreme support

• narasiṃha-nipātanaḥ: the one who causes Narasiṃha’s downfall/subduing

• brahmacārī: observer of brahmacarya, chaste ascetic

• loka-cārī: mover/wanderer through the worlds, immanent in all realms

• dharma-cārī: one who practices and upholds dharma

• dhana-adhipaḥ: lord/master of wealth and prosperity

Speaker

Suta Goswami (reciting the Shiva Sahasranama to the Sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Narasimha

FAQs

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

By calling Shiva the “pillar of victory” and the “supreme support,” the verse aligns Linga-worship with the truth that the Linga is Pati—the unshakable cosmic axis—through whom the pashu (soul) gains victory over pāśa (bondage).

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

Shiva is shown as transcendent and immanent: the unsurpassed support (beyond all) and also the loka-cārī who pervades and moves within all worlds, upholding dharma while remaining sovereign over power and wealth.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The names brahmacārī and dharmacārī point to Pāśupata discipline—brahmacarya, restraint, and dharma-centered conduct—supported by Shiva-nāma-japa as a means to loosen pāśa and take refuge in Pati.