Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 60

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

सत्यमानन्दममृतं परं ब्रह्म परात्परम् एकाक्षरादकाराख्यो भगवान्कनकाण्डजः

Transliteration

satyamānandamamṛtaṃ paraṃ brahma parātparam ekākṣarādakārākhyo bhagavānkanakāṇḍajaḥ

Translation

Il est la Vérité même—la Béatitude même—l’Immortel ; le Brahman suprême, transcendant même ce qui est transcendant. Du Syllabe unique impérissable, on le connaît comme le son « A » ; ce Seigneur bienheureux, né de l’Œuf cosmique d’or, est le Pati (Maître) au-delà de tout.

Word by Word

• satyam: truth/reality

• ānandam: bliss

• amṛtam: deathless/immortal

• param: supreme

• brahma: Brahman, absolute reality

• parātparam: higher than the highest, beyond all transcendence

• ekākṣarāt: from the one syllable/imperishable syllable (praṇava)

• akāra-ākhyaḥ: named/characterized as the letter ‘A’

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord, the Possessor of divine powers

• kanaka-aṇḍa-jaḥ: born from the golden egg (Hiraṇyagarbha/cosmic origin)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the theology of the Linga’s supreme source within the Purva-Bhaga dialogue)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahman
• Pranava (Om)
• Hiranyagarbha

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga-worship in the highest theology: the Linga signifies Shiva as satya (ultimate reality), ānanda (pure bliss), and amṛta (deathless), i.e., the Parabrahman who is the Pati of all pashus.

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

Shiva-tattva is presented as paraṃ brahma parātparam—Brahman beyond all categories—yet also expressible through sacred sound (the ekākṣara and akāra), indicating both transcendence and revelatory accessibility.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Japa and dhyāna centered on praṇava/ekākṣara and the primacy of akāra are implied—sound-based contemplation used in Pashupata-oriented Shiva-upāsanā to cut pasha (bondage) and realize the amṛta nature of the Pati.