Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 132

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

तस्मात्संसिद्धिमन्विच्छन् सम्यगाचारवान् भवेत् दुर्वृत्तः शुद्धिभूयिष्ठः पापीयान् ज्ञानदूषकः

Transliteration

tasmātsaṃsiddhimanvicchan samyagācāravān bhavet durvṛttaḥ śuddhibhūyiṣṭhaḥ pāpīyān jñānadūṣakaḥ

Translation

ゆえに、真の成就を求める者は、正しい行いに確立されるべきである。悪しき行いの者は—外面的な「浄め」に心を奪われていても—いよいよ罪を増し、ついには解脱の智を汚す。その智こそ、束縛を超えた主宰パティ（Pati）へ至る手段である。

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore

• संसिद्धिम्: complete attainment, spiritual accomplishment

• अन्विच्छन्: seeking, desiring

• सम्यगाचारवान्: possessed of right conduct, proper discipline

• भवेत्: should become

• दुर्वृत्तः: of bad conduct, immoral

• शुद्धि-भूयिष्ठः: greatly occupied with purification/cleansing, excessively focused on purificatory acts

• पापीयान्: more sinful, worse in sin

• ज्ञान-दूषकः: a corrupter of knowledge, one who spoils true wisdom

Speaker

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

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It states that Linga-puja bears fruit (siddhi) only when grounded in samyag-ācāra (right conduct); mere external cleanliness without ethical transformation becomes a distortion of worship.

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

By implication, Shiva as Pati is approached through jñāna supported by dharma; when conduct is corrupt, one ‘pollutes’ that jñāna and remains bound as pashu under pasha.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It emphasizes the Shaiva principle that inner discipline and truthful conduct are primary, while śuddhi-kriyās (purificatory rites) are secondary and must not become a substitute for Pashupata-style ethical restraint and clarity of knowledge.