Shloka 22

आभ्यन्तरध्यान-तत्त्वगणना-चतुर्व्यूहयोगः

Adhyaya 28

Devanagari script

पुरुषो वै महादेवो महेशानः परः शिवः एवं विभुर्विनिर्दिष्टो ध्यानं तत्रैव चिन्तनम्

Transliteration

puruṣo vai mahādevo maheśānaḥ paraḥ śivaḥ evaṃ vibhurvinirdiṣṭo dhyānaṃ tatraiva cintanam

Translation

マハーデーヴァこそ至上のプルシャ—大主（マヘーシャーナ）、超越のシヴァである。かくして遍在の主は宣言される。禅定とは、ただその御方のみを観想することにほかならない。

Word by Word

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ): the Supreme Person, conscious Lord

• वै (vai): indeed, verily

• महादेवः (mahādevaḥ): Mahādeva, the Great God

• महेशानः (maheśānaḥ): the Great Lord, ruler of all

• परः (paraḥ): supreme, transcendent

• शिवः (śivaḥ): Śiva, the auspicious Lord (Pati)

• एवम् (evam): thus

• विभुः (vibhuḥ): the all-pervading, sovereign one

• विनिर्दिष्टः (vinirdiṣṭaḥ): is specifically declared/defined

• ध्यानम् (dhyānam): meditation, steady inner absorption

• तत्र एव (tatra eva): in Him alone, precisely there

• चिन्तनम् (cintanam): contemplation, focused thought.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Mahadeva)
• Maheśāna
• Puruṣa (Supreme Person)

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga worship in inner realization: the Linga points to Mahādeva as the supreme Puruṣa, and true worship culminates in dhyāna—exclusive contemplation of Shiva as Pati.

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

Shiva is presented as Para (transcendent) and Vibhu (all-pervading), the sovereign Maheśāna—distinct from pashu (bound soul) and pasha (bondage), and therefore the supreme Lord to be known through contemplation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pāśupata-oriented dhyāna: steady cintana focused solely on Mahādeva, making meditation the core inner limb that complements external puja to the Linga.