Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 135

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

नवात्मतत्त्वरूपाय नवाष्टात्मात्मशक्तये पुनरष्टप्रकाशाय तथाष्टाष्टकमूर्तये

Transliteration

navātmatattvarūpāya navāṣṭātmātmaśaktaye punaraṣṭaprakāśāya tathāṣṭāṣṭakamūrtaye

Translation

ನವಾತ್ಮ ತತ್ತ್ವರూపನಾದ ಪರಮೇಶ್ವರನಿಗೆ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ. ಅವರ ಸ್ವಶಕ್ತಿ ನವ-ಅಷ್ಟ ಅಂತಃಶಕ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ವಿಸ್ತರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ; ಅವರು ಪುನಃ ಅಷ್ಟಪ್ರಕಾಶಗಳಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಅಷ್ಟ-ಅಷ್ಟ ಮೂರ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಧರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ—ಆ ಶಿವನಿಗೆ ವಂದನೆ.

Word by Word

• नव (nava): nine

• आत्मतत्त्व (ātma-tattva): principle of the Self / essential reality of the Self

• रूपाय (rūpāya): to the one whose form is / unto the formed-as

• नवाष्ट (navāṣṭa): nine-and-eight (a combined enumeration)

• आत्मात्मशक्तये (ātmātma-śaktaye): to the intrinsic power of the Self / to the Self’s own Shakti

• पुनः (punar): again, further

• अष्ट (aṣṭa): eight

• प्रकाशाय (prakāśāya): to the luminous manifestation / to the revealer

• तथा (tathā): likewise, also

• अष्टाष्टक (aṣṭāṣṭaka): eight-and-eight (sixteenfold)

• मूर्तये (mūrtaye): to the embodied form / manifestation

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a hymn within the Linga Purana’s Shaiva praise-context)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as the source of all enumerated cosmic principles and forms—so the Linga is worshipped not merely as a symbol, but as Pati (the Lord) present as tattva, shakti, and manifested murtis.

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

Shiva is presented as prakāśa (self-revealing consciousness) and as the ground of multiple tattva-enumerations, indicating His transcendence and immanence through Shakti while remaining the sovereign Pati.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports contemplative japa and dhyāna used in Shaiva stuti: meditating on Shiva’s multi-fold tattva-forms to loosen pasha (bondage) and steady the pashu (soul) toward Pashupata-oriented liberation.