Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

एकार्णव-सृष्टिक्रमः, ब्रह्म-विष्णु-परस्परप्रवेशः, शिवस्य आगमनं च

Devanagari script

श्रीपतेरुदरं भूयः प्रविवेश पितामहः तानेव लोकान् गर्भस्थान् अपश्यत् सत्यविक्रमः

Transliteration

śrīpaterudaraṃ bhūyaḥ praviveśa pitāmahaḥ tāneva lokān garbhasthān apaśyat satyavikramaḥ

Translation

Alors Pitāmaha (Brahmā) entra de nouveau dans le ventre de Śrīpati (Viṣṇu). Là, le vaillant véridique vit ces mêmes mondes, demeurant à l’état d’embryon, cachés : la semence non manifestée de la création, contenue dans le Seigneur.

Word by Word

• śrīpateḥ: of Śrīpati (Viṣṇu)

• udaraṃ: the belly/abdomen

• bhūyaḥ: again

• praviveśa: entered

• pitāmahaḥ: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

• tān eva: those very

• lokān: worlds/realms

• garbhasthān: situated in the womb/embryonic state (latent)

• apaśyat: saw/beheld

• satya-vikramaḥ: the one whose prowess is true (epithet of Brahmā here)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It frames creation as latent within the Lord before manifestation; in Linga theology, the Liṅga similarly signifies the unmanifest source (avyakta) from which worlds arise, guiding worship toward the causal reality beyond forms.

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

By showing worlds existing in a hidden, seed-like state within the supreme principle, it aligns with Śaiva Siddhānta’s view that Pati (Śiva) is the transcendent ground in which pashus and their experienced worlds can remain potential, to be revealed by His icchā-śakti.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports contemplative Pāśupata orientation: meditate on the source-state (kāraṇa) behind the manifest (kārya), using Liṅga-dhyāna to turn awareness from external worlds to their causal Lord.