Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 7

भुवनकोशविन्यासनिर्णयः (ज्योतिर्गति-वृष्टिचक्र-वर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

स एव सुखवत्यां तु निशान्तस्थः प्रदृश्यते अस्तमेति पुनः सूर्यो विभायां विश्वदृग् विभुः

Transliteration

sa eva sukhavatyāṃ tu niśāntasthaḥ pradṛśyate astameti punaḥ sūryo vibhāyāṃ viśvadṛg vibhuḥ

Translation

സുഖവതിയിൽ അവൻ ഒരുത്തൻ മാത്രം രാത്രിയുടെ അന്ത്യത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നതായി ദൃശ്യമാകുന്നു. പിന്നെ സൂര്യൻ വീണ്ടും അസ്തമിക്കുന്നു; എങ്കിലും സർവ്വവ്യാപിയായ, വിശ്വദർശിയായ പ്രഭു സ്വവിഭയാൽ തന്നെ പ്രകാശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स एव: He alone

• सुखवत्याम्: in (the place/city) Sukhavatī

• तु: indeed

• निशान्तस्थः: situated at the end of night (at dawn’s threshold)

• प्रदृश्यते: is seen/appears

• अस्तमेति: goes to setting

• पुनः: again

• सूर्यः: the Sun

• विभायाम्: in/with radiance, by shining

• विश्वदृक्: seer of the universe, all-seeing

• विभुः: the omnipresent, the mighty Lord

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Surya
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as svayaṃ-prakāśa (self-luminous) reality: even if the physical sun ‘sets,’ the true Light to be worshipped as the Linga’s inner Jyoti is the all-seeing Vibhu.

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

Shiva is indicated as Viśvadṛk (omniscient witness) and Vibhu (all-pervading Pati), whose radiance is not dependent on external luminaries—pointing to the transcendent consciousness that illumines all.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Niśānta-sandhi contemplation: a dawn-threshold dhyāna where the pashu turns inward from changing phenomena (sunrise/sunset) to the steady, witnessing Light of Pati—aligned with Pāśupata-oriented Shiva-darśana.