Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सर्गप्रतिष्ठासंहारलीलार्थं लिङ्गरूपिणम् प्रणम्य च यथान्यायं वक्ष्ये लिङ्गोद्भवं शुभम्

Transliteration

sargapratiṣṭhāsaṃhāralīlārthaṃ liṅgarūpiṇam praṇamya ca yathānyāyaṃ vakṣye liṅgodbhavaṃ śubham

Translation

सर्गप्रतिष्ठासंहारलीलार्थं लिङ्गरूपिणम् । प्रणम्य च यथान्यायं वक्ष्ये लिङ्गोद्भवं शुभम् ॥

Word by Word

• सर्ग (sarga): creation

• प्रतिष्ठा (pratiṣṭhā): establishment/sustaining order

• संहार (saṃhāra): dissolution/withdrawal

• लीला (līlā): divine play

• अर्थम् (artham): for the purpose of

• लिङ्गरूपिणम् (liṅgarūpiṇam): the One whose form is the Liṅga

• प्रणम्य (praṇamya): having bowed/saluted

• च (ca): and

• यथान्यायम् (yathānyāyam): according to rule/propriety

• वक्ष्ये (vakṣye): I shall speak/expound

• लिङ्गोद्भवम् (liṅgodbhavam): the arising/manifestation of the Liṅga

• शुभम् (śubham): auspicious/beneficent

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Liṅga-worship as reverence to Shiva himself—who takes the Liṅga-form for the cosmic functions of sṛṣṭi (creation), sthiti/pratiṣṭhā (establishment), and saṃhāra (dissolution)—and introduces Liṅgodbhava as an auspicious revelation.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati, the sovereign Lord whose Liṅga-form signifies the transcendent source behind the universe’s arising, ordering, and withdrawal—acts performed as līlā, not from limitation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights yathā-nyāya praṇāma—proper, rule-aligned salutations and devotional humility—as the foundational discipline before receiving teachings on the Liṅga’s manifestation and its contemplative significance.