Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 47

Adhyaya 61 — ग्रह-नक्षत्र-स्थाननिर्णयः

Cosmic Abodes of Luminaries and the Shaiva Order of Time

Devanagari script

आश्लेषासु समुत्पन्नः सर्वहारी महाग्रहः तथा स्वनामधेयेषु दाक्षायण्यः समुत्थिताः

Transliteration

āśleṣāsu samutpannaḥ sarvahārī mahāgrahaḥ tathā svanāmadheyeṣu dākṣāyaṇyaḥ samutthitāḥ

Translation

アーシュレーシャー宿において、すべてを奪い尽くす大いなるグラハのごとき災厄が起こった。さらに、自らの名を帯びる星々の間では、ダクシャの娘たるダー クシャーヤニーたちが、不吉な昇起として現れた。

Word by Word

• आश्लेषासु: in (the nakṣatra) Āśleṣā

• समुत्पन्नः: arose, came forth

• सर्वहारी: all-stealing, utterly destructive

• महाग्रहः: great graha (planet/seizer, powerful astral influence)

• तथा: likewise

• स्व-नाम-धेयेषु: in those having their own names / named after themselves (constellations)

• दाक्षायण्यः: the Dākṣāyaṇīs, daughters of Dakṣa

• समुत्थिताः: rose up, appeared (as portents)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Daksha
• Dakshayani (Daughters of Daksha)
• Grahas
• Nakshatras

FAQs

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

It frames worldly calamity as a manifestation of cosmic forces (graha-nakṣatra nimitta), implying that refuge in Pati—Lord Śiva through Liṅga-pūjā—stabilizes the pashu (soul) amid shifting astral conditions.

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

By highlighting destructive astral “seizers” (grahas), it indirectly points to Śiva-tattva as transcendent—Pati who is not seized by time or planets, and who alone can cut pāśa (bondage) that appears as fate and affliction.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Graha-śānti is suggested by the omen-language, but the Shaiva Siddhānta takeaway is deeper: Pāśupata-oriented devotion and discipline (japa, vrata, Liṅga-arcana) to move beyond graha-driven karmic compulsions.