Shloka 4

अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य — काशी-वाराणसी में मोक्ष, लिङ्ग-तीर्थ-मानचित्र, और उपासना-विधि

Devanagari script

विस्तरेण मया वक्तुं ब्रह्मणा च महात्मना शक्यते नैव विप्रेन्द्रा वर्षकोटिशतैरपि

Transliteration

vistareṇa mayā vaktuṃ brahmaṇā ca mahātmanā śakyate naiva viprendrā varṣakoṭiśatairapi

Translation

Ô le meilleur des brahmanes, ni moi ni le magnanime Brahmā ne pouvons l’exposer entièrement, fût-ce au cours de centaines de crores d’années. Telle est l’étendue incommensurable du Pati suprême et de son Liṅga, au-delà des bornes de la parole et de l’esprit.

Word by Word

• विस्तरेण: in full detail

• मया: by me

• वक्तुम्: to speak/describe

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā

• च: and

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one

• शक्यते: is possible

• नैव: not at all

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins

• वर्ष: years

• कोटि: crores

• शतैः: by hundreds

• अपि: even

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Purana; conveying the traditional limitation of even Brahma’s speech)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga as the sign of the Infinite Pati (Lord Shiva): worship is not about exhausting descriptions, but about devotion and realization of the immeasurable Reality the Linga indicates.

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

By stating that even Brahmā cannot narrate it fully across aeons, the verse points to Shiva-tattva as ananta (endless) and avāṅmanasagocara (beyond speech and mind), the supreme Pati who transcends all measures.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No single rite is specified; the takeaway supports Pashupata-oriented practice: humility before the Infinite, steady Linga-upāsanā (worship/meditation), and inner discipline aimed at loosening pasha (bondage) for the pashu (soul).