Vamana Purana — Nara-Narayana's Tapas, Shloka 85
Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode
ततः प्रोवाच भगवानेवमस्त्विति केशव ब्रह्म स्वयं च जग्राह लिङ्गं कनकपिङ्गलम्
tataḥ provāca bhagavānevamastviti keśava brahma svayaṃ ca jagrāha liṅgaṃ kanakapiṅgalam
Então o Senhor Bem-aventurado Keśava disse: «Assim seja». E o próprio Brahmā tomou um liṅga, dourado e de tonalidade fulva.
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FAQs
The verse models non-sectarian reverence: Viṣṇu’s assent (“evam astu”) and Brahmā’s acceptance of the liṅga indicate that devotion to Śiva’s emblem is not opposed to Vaiṣṇava piety, but can be harmonized within dharma.
It aligns most closely with ācāra/dharma-oriented material typically embedded within Purāṇic narration (often grouped under vṛtti/ācāra or as part of vaṃśānucarita episodes that include religious institutions). It is not sarga/pratisarga; it functions as sect-synthesizing dharma exposition within the narrative flow.
The ‘golden-tawny’ liṅga suggests auspicious radiance and legitimacy. Brahmā’s act of taking the liṅga symbolizes cosmic sanction for Śaiva worship, while Keśava’s approval encodes the Hari–Hara complementarity emphasized in the Vāmana Purāṇa.