Shloka 5

विष्णुरुवाच—एकाक्षर-प्रणव-लिङ्ग-व्याप्ति-शिवस्तोत्रम्

Devanagari script

ईशानाय श्मशानाय अतिवेगाय वेगिने नमो ऽस्तु श्रुतिपादाय ऊर्ध्वलिङ्गाय लिङ्गिने

Transliteration

īśānāya śmaśānāya ativegāya vegine namo 'stu śrutipādāya ūrdhvaliṅgāya liṅgine

Translation

ईशानाय श्मशानाय अतिवेगाय वेगिने। नमोऽस्तु श्रुतिपादाय ऊर्ध्वलिङ्गाय लिङ्गिने॥

Word by Word

• ईशानाय (īśānāya): to Īśāna, the Sovereign Lord (Pati)

• श्मशानाय (śmaśānāya): to the One of the cremation-ground, Lord of dissolution and transcendence

• अतिवेगाय (ativegāya): to the exceedingly swift

• वेगिने (vegine): to the fast-moving, impetuous One

• नमोऽस्तु (namo 'stu): let there be homage

• श्रुतिपादाय (śrutipādāya): to Him whose feet are the Śruti (Vedas), whose foundation is Vedic revelation

• ऊर्ध्वलिङ्गाय (ūrdhvaliṅgāya): to the Upright Linga, the ascending sign of the Absolute

• लिङ्गिने (liṅgine): to the Linga-bearer, the One characterized by the Linga (Mahādeva as Pati).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a Shiva-stuti within the Linga Purana’s discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It identifies the Linga as Shiva’s defining sign (liṅga) and praises Him as ūrdhvaliṅga—the transcendent, upward-pointing symbol—grounding Linga-puja in both Vedic authority (śruti) and Shaiva devotion.

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

Shiva is praised as Pati: sovereign Īśāna, beyond fear and death (śmaśāna), yet immanent as the power that moves all (ativega/vegī). He is also the very foundation of revelation, with the Vedas as His feet (śrutipāda).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports Linga-upāsanā through mantraic stuti (name-recitation) and indicates a Pāśupata orientation: contemplating Shiva as Pati who liberates the pashu from pasha by turning awareness upward (ūrdhva) toward the Absolute.