Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

दक्षयज्ञध्वंसः—वीरभद्रप्रेषणं, देवविष्ण्वोः पराजयः, पुनरनुग्रहः

Devanagari script

छिन्नं च निपपातासु शिरस्तस्य रसातले वायुना प्रेरितं चैव प्राणजेन पिनाकिना

Transliteration

chinnaṃ ca nipapātāsu śirastasya rasātale vāyunā preritaṃ caiva prāṇajena pinākinā

Translation

അവന്റെ ഛിന്ന ശിരസ് വേഗത്തിൽ രസാതലത്തിലേക്ക് വീണു; പിനാകി (ശിവ)യുടെ പ്രാണജന്യമായ വായുരൂപ ശ്വാസം അതിനെ മുന്നോട്ടു തള്ളിപ്പറപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• छिन्नम् (chinnam): severed, cut off

• च (ca): and

• निपपात (nipapāta): fell down

• आसु (āsu): swiftly/at once

• शिरः (śiraḥ): head

• तस्य (tasya): of him

• रसातले (rasātale): in Rasātala (nether region)

• वायुना (vāyunā): by wind

• प्रेरितम् (preritam): impelled, driven

• च एव (ca eva): and indeed

• प्राणजेन (prāṇajena): born of prāṇa, produced from life-breath

• पिनाकिना (pinākinā): by Pinākin, Śiva.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Pinakin
• Rasatala
• Prana
• Vayu

FAQs

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

It portrays Śiva (Pati) as the sovereign power who directs prāṇa and vāyu—reminding the devotee that all ritual vitality and inner worship (antaryāga) are effective only through Śiva’s lordship.

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

Śiva is shown as Pinākin who can transform prāṇa into a compelling force, indicating His mastery over the subtle principles (tattvas) that bind and move the pashu (individual soul) within saṁsāra.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to prāṇa-vāyu mastery as central to Pāśupata-oriented yoga: regulation of life-breath (prāṇāyāma) and inner control of vāyus under the recognition of Śiva as the ultimate controller.