Shloka 22

आभ्यन्तरध्यान-तत्त्वगणना-चतुर्व्यूहयोगः

Adhyaya 28

Devanagari script

पुरुषो वै महादेवो महेशानः परः शिवः एवं विभुर्विनिर्दिष्टो ध्यानं तत्रैव चिन्तनम्

Transliteration

puruṣo vai mahādevo maheśānaḥ paraḥ śivaḥ evaṃ vibhurvinirdiṣṭo dhyānaṃ tatraiva cintanam

Translation

മഹാദേവൻ തന്നെയാണ് പരമപുരുഷൻ—മഹേശാനൻ, പരാത്പര ശിവൻ. ഇങ്ങനെ സർവ്വവ്യാപിയായ സ്വാമി പ്രഖ്യാപിതൻ; ധ്യാനം എന്നത് അവനെ മാത്രം ഏകാഗ്രമായി ചിന്തിക്കുന്നതാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ): the Supreme Person, conscious Lord

• वै (vai): indeed, verily

• महादेवः (mahādevaḥ): Mahādeva, the Great God

• महेशानः (maheśānaḥ): the Great Lord, ruler of all

• परः (paraḥ): supreme, transcendent

• शिवः (śivaḥ): Śiva, the auspicious Lord (Pati)

• एवम् (evam): thus

• विभुः (vibhuḥ): the all-pervading, sovereign one

• विनिर्दिष्टः (vinirdiṣṭaḥ): is specifically declared/defined

• ध्यानम् (dhyānam): meditation, steady inner absorption

• तत्र एव (tatra eva): in Him alone, precisely there

• चिन्तनम् (cintanam): contemplation, focused thought.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Mahadeva)
• Maheśāna
• Puruṣa (Supreme Person)

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga worship in inner realization: the Linga points to Mahādeva as the supreme Puruṣa, and true worship culminates in dhyāna—exclusive contemplation of Shiva as Pati.

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

Shiva is presented as Para (transcendent) and Vibhu (all-pervading), the sovereign Maheśāna—distinct from pashu (bound soul) and pasha (bondage), and therefore the supreme Lord to be known through contemplation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pāśupata-oriented dhyāna: steady cintana focused solely on Mahādeva, making meditation the core inner limb that complements external puja to the Linga.