Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

नन्दिकेश्वरोत्पत्तिः — Nandikesvara’s Origin, Shiva’s Boons, and the Rise of Sacred Rivers

Devanagari script

प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य च तं रुद्रजाप्यरतो ऽभवम् हृत्पुण्डरीके सुषिरे ध्यात्वा देवं त्रियंबकम्

Transliteration

pradakṣiṇīkṛtya ca taṃ rudrajāpyarato 'bhavam hṛtpuṇḍarīke suṣire dhyātvā devaṃ triyaṃbakam

Translation

Après l’avoir contourné en pradakṣiṇa, je me vouai à la récitation (japa) du mantra de Rudra; et, méditant le Seigneur Tryambaka aux trois yeux dans la subtile cavité du lotus du cœur, je fixai ma conscience sur Pati, qui délivre le paśu du pāśa.

Word by Word

• प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य: having circumambulated (keeping the deity to one’s right)

• च: and

• तम्: Him

• रुद्रजाप्यरतः: intent on Rudra-japa (repetition of Rudra’s name/mantra)

• अभवम्: I became

• हृत्पुण्डरीके: in the heart-lotus

• सुषिरे: in the subtle cavity/inner space

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated

• देवम्: the God, the luminous Lord

• त्र्यम्बकम्/त्रियंबकम्: Tryambaka, the three-eyed Shiva

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating an internal devotional practice account within the Purva-Bhaga narrative)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Tryambaka
• Rudra

FAQs

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

It links outer Linga-upacāra (pradakṣiṇā/circumambulation) with inner worship—Rudra-japa and meditation on Tryambaka in the heart-lotus—showing that true Linga devotion culminates in internalization of Shiva as Pati.

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

Shiva is invoked as Tryambaka, the all-seeing Lord, approachable through mantra and dhyāna; as Pati, He is the liberator whose grace loosens pāśa (bondage) and elevates the paśu (individual soul) toward freedom.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A combined sādhana: pradakṣiṇā as devotional rite, Rudra-japa as mantra discipline, and hṛt-puṇḍarīka-dhyāna (heart-lotus meditation) aligned with Pāśupata-oriented inner worship.