Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय

Devanagari script

अस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यं च अलोभस्त्याग एव च व्रतानि पञ्च भिक्षूणाम् अहिंसा परमा त्विह

Transliteration

asteyaṃ brahmacaryaṃ ca alobhastyāga eva ca vratāni pañca bhikṣūṇām ahiṃsā paramā tviha

Translation

ਪਤੀ-ਭਗਤ ਭਿੱਖੂ ਲਈ ਪੰਜ ਵ੍ਰਤ ਕਹੇ ਗਏ ਹਨ—ਅਸਤੇਯ, ਬ੍ਰਹਮਚਰਯ, ਅਲੋਭ ਅਤੇ ਤਿਆਗ; ਅਤੇ ਇੱਥੇ ਅਹਿੰਸਾ ਨੂੰ ਪਰਮ ਵ੍ਰਤ ਆਖਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਪਸ਼ੂ (ਜੀਵ) ਦੇ ਪਾਸ਼-ਬੰਧਨ ਨੂੰ ਢਿੱਲਾ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• asteyam: non-stealing

• brahmacaryam: celibacy/chaste conduct

• ca: and

• alobhaḥ: non-greed/non-covetousness

• tyāgaḥ: renunciation/letting-go

• eva: indeed

• ca: and

• vratāni: vows/observances

• pañca: five

• bhikṣūṇām: of mendicants/monks

• ahiṁsā: non-violence

• paramā: highest/supreme

• tu: indeed/but

• iha: here (in this discipline/world).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the dharma-teachings within the Linga Purana framework)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-upāsanā as inseparable from inner purification: the bhikṣu’s vows—especially ahiṁsā—prepare the devotee to approach Śiva (Pati) with a mind free from harm and grasping.

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

Śiva-tattva is implied as Pati, the liberating Lord: when the paśu practices restraint and non-violence, pāśa (bondage) weakens, making the soul fit for Śiva’s grace and union in devotion.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A Pāśupata-oriented yama-like discipline for mendicants: asteya, brahmacarya, alobha, tyāga, with ahiṁsā upheld as the highest regulating principle for sādhanā.