Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57

Adhyaya 61 — ग्रह-नक्षत्र-स्थाननिर्णयः

Cosmic Abodes of Luminaries and the Shaiva Order of Time

Devanagari script

चतुर्विधानां भूतानां प्रवर्तकनिवर्तकः तस्यापि भगवान् रुद्रः साक्षाद्देवः प्रवर्तकः

Transliteration

caturvidhānāṃ bhūtānāṃ pravartakanivartakaḥ tasyāpi bhagavān rudraḥ sākṣāddevaḥ pravartakaḥ

Translation

ສໍາລັບສັດທັງສີ່ປະເພດ ພຣະອົງເປັນຜູ້ໃຫ້ເກີດການເຄື່ອນໄຫວ ແລະເປັນຜູ້ຫ້າມປະຄອງດ້ວຍ. ແມ່ນແຕ່ຫຼັກການຄຸ້ມຄອງນັ້ນເອງ ພຣະຣຸດຣະ—ພຣະຜູ້ມີພຣະພາກ—ແມ່ນເທວະຜູ້ຜັກດັນໂດຍກົງ ຜູ້ເລີ່ມຕົ້ນການເຄື່ອນໄຫວທັງປວງ.

Word by Word

• चतुर्विधानाम् (caturvidhānām): of the fourfold kinds

• भूतानाम् (bhūtānām): of beings/creatures

• प्रवर्तक (pravartaka): impeller/initiator

• निवर्तकः (nivartakaḥ): restrainer/withdrawer

• तस्यापि (tasyāpi): even of that (principle/agent)

• भगवान् (bhagavān): the Blessed Lord

• रुद्रः (rudraḥ): Rudra (Śiva)

• साक्षात् (sākṣāt): directly, manifestly

• देवः (devaḥ): the Divine One

• प्रवर्तकः (pravartakaḥ): the prime mover/impeller

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purva-Bhaga teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya, summarizing Shaiva doctrine)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes Rudra (the Lord indicated by the Linga) as the direct source of all activation and withdrawal in beings—so Linga-puja is worship of the very Pati who governs creation, maintenance, and reabsorption.

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

Shiva is presented as the sākṣāt (immediate) divine pravartaka: the transcendent-yet-immanent Lord who empowers all agencies, directing the pashus (souls) within pasha (bondage) toward activity or cessation according to cosmic order and grace.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports Pashupata-oriented discipline: turning one’s pravṛtti (outgoing activity) and nivṛtti (withdrawal) into Shiva-centered practice through worship, mantra, and yogic restraint under the recognition that Shiva alone empowers both.