Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40

Adhyaya 23: श्वेत-लोहित-पीत-कृष्ण-विश्व-कल्पेषु रुद्रस्वरूप-गायत्री-तत्त्ववर्णनम्

Devanagari script

सोमश् च मन्त्रसंयुक्तो यस्मान्मम मुखाच्च्युतः जीवः प्राणभृतां ब्रह्मन् पुनः पीतस्तनाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

somaś ca mantrasaṃyukto yasmānmama mukhāccyutaḥ jīvaḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ brahman punaḥ pītastanāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Et Soma aussi—uni au mantra—jaillit de ma bouche. Ô Brahmane, cette même essence de vie (jīva) des êtres animés est tenue en mémoire comme ce qui se boit de nouveau sous forme de lait aux mamelles, sève nourricière des âmes incarnées.

Word by Word

• सोमः: Soma (the lunar essence/nectar)

• च: and

• मन्त्रसंयुक्तः: united with mantra, mantra-empowered

• यस्मात्: from which/from whom

• मम: my

• मुखात्: from (the) mouth

• च्युतः: fallen/issued forth

• जीवः: life-principle, vital essence

• प्राणभृताम्: of those who bear prāṇa (living beings)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmā/O sage addressed as Brahman

• पुनः: again, once more

• पीत-स्तनाः: drunk from the breasts (as milk), breast-sucked

• स्मृताः: is/are remembered, is declared

Speaker

Brahma (within Suta's narration to the sages)

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It links mantra-powered creation to sustenance: Soma as consecrated essence becomes the nourishing principle for embodied life, implying that worship (puja) and mantra uphold both creation and continuity under Pati (Shiva) as the supreme regulator.

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

By presenting mantra as the causal power behind manifest essence (Soma) and life-support (jīva), the verse aligns with Shaiva Siddhanta where Pati is the lord of mantra and the source through which life is energized and sustained, even when described through Brahma’s creative speech.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-prayoga is central: the verse emphasizes mantra-samyoga (mantra union) as the means by which subtle essence becomes effective—supporting the Shaiva view that disciplined japa, initiation-linked mantra, and consecration are key to transforming and sustaining prāṇa in practice.