Shloka 189

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

समानजो वसिष्ठश् च अपानान्निर्ममे क्रतुम् इत्येते ब्रह्मणः पुत्रा दिव्या एकादशा स्मृताः

Transliteration

samānajo vasiṣṭhaś ca apānānnirmame kratum ityete brahmaṇaḥ putrā divyā ekādaśā smṛtāḥ

Translation

De Samānaja naquit Vasiṣṭha, et du souffle descendant (apāna) il forma Kratu. Ainsi, ceux-ci sont tenus pour les onze fils divins de Brahmā. Dans la vision śaiva, ces créateurs n’agissent que comme des agents investis au sein de l’ordre cosmique de Pati (Śiva), tandis que les âmes liées (paśu) demeurent sous le lien (pāśa) jusqu’à l’avènement de la grâce.

Word by Word

• samānajaḥ: Samānaja (a divine progenitor/name)

• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Vasiṣṭha (the sage/progenitor)

• ca: and

• apānāt: from Apāna (the downward vital breath / a creative principle)

• nirmame: he created/produced

• kratum: Kratu (a Prajāpati/sage

• iti: thus

• ete: these

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā

• putrāḥ: sons

• divyāḥ: divine

• ekādaśa: eleven

• smṛtāḥ: remembered/said to be

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana’s creation account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vasistha
• Kratu
• Samānaja
• Apāna

FAQs

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

It situates creation within a graded hierarchy: Brahmā’s progeny administer manifestation, while the Linga tradition ultimately points beyond secondary creators to Pati (Śiva) as the supreme ground, the one worshipped for liberation.

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

By listing Brahmā’s ‘divine sons’ as agents of creation, it implies Shiva-tattva as the transcendent Pati who is not merely another progenitor but the sovereign principle under whose order such creative functions operate.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No direct puja-vidhi is stated; the verse supports a contemplative takeaway used in Pāśupata-oriented reflection: discern the difference between instrumental creators and the supreme Pati, the true refuge sought through Linga-puja and inner yoga.