Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मम त्वमेकः पुत्रो ऽसि किमर्थं क्लिश्यते भवान् मामनाथामपहाय तप आस्थितवानसि

Transliteration

mama tvamekaḥ putro 'si kimarthaṃ kliśyate bhavān māmanāthāmapahāya tapa āsthitavānasi

Translation

「おまえは母のただ一人の子。なぜそのように身を苦しめるのか。頼るところなき母を捨てて、タパス（苦行）に入ったというのか。」

Word by Word

• मम: of me, my

• त्वम्: you

• एकः: the only one

• पुत्रः: son

• असि: are

• किमर्थम्: for what reason, why

• क्लिश्यते: is afflicted, is made to suffer

• भवान्: you (honorific)

• माम्: me

• अनाथाम्: without protector, helpless

• अपहाय: having abandoned, leaving behind

• तपः: austerity, tapas

• आस्थितवान्: has undertaken, has resorted to

• असि: you are (have done)

Speaker

Mother of the ascetic son (a grieving maternal voice within Suta’s narrated account)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames tapas as a preparatory discipline: the devotee endures hardship to become inwardly fit for Shiva-bhakti and Linga-upasana, placing the Pati (Shiva) above worldly dependence.

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

By implication, the seeker leaves ordinary shelters to seek the supreme refuge—Shiva as Pati—who alone can cut the pasha (bondage) of the pashu (individual soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Tapas (austerity) as a Pashupata-oriented yogic discipline—restraint, endurance, and single-pointed intent—supporting purification prior to deeper Shaiva worship.