Shloka 30

अविद्या-पञ्चक, नवसर्ग-क्रमः, प्रजापति-प्रसवः

Vibhaga 1, Adhyaya 5

Devanagari script

स्त्रीलिङ्गमखिलं सा वै पुंलिङ्गं नीललोहितः तं दृष्ट्वा भगवान् ब्रह्मा दक्षमालोक्य सुव्रताम्

Transliteration

strīliṅgamakhilaṃ sā vai puṃliṅgaṃ nīlalohitaḥ taṃ dṛṣṭvā bhagavān brahmā dakṣamālokya suvratām

Translation

स्त्रीलिङ्गमखिलं सा वै पुंलिङ्गं नीललोहितः। तं दृष्ट्वा भगवान् ब्रह्मा दक्षमालोक्य सुव्रताम्॥

Word by Word

• स्त्रीलिङ्गम्: feminine emblem (yoni

• अखिलम्: entirely, wholly

• सा: she (Śakti/Devī)

• वै: indeed

• पुंलिङ्गम्: masculine emblem (liṅga

• नीललोहितः: Nīlalohita (a Rudra-form of Śiva)

• तम्: that (manifestation)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen

• भगवान्: the blessed lord

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā

• दक्षम्: Dakṣa

• आलोक्य: having looked at, regarding

• सुव्रताम्: the virtuous one (a woman of noble vows

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating; internal scene describes Brahma witnessing Nīlalohita and Śakti)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Nīlalohita/Rudra)
• Brahma
• Daksha
• Shakti (Devī)

FAQs

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

It grounds liṅga-pūjā in metaphysics: the liṅga signifies Śiva (Pati) and the strīliṅga/yoni signifies Śakti—together expressing the creative and sustaining power behind sṛṣṭi.

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

Śiva-tattva appears as Nīlalohita in a liṅga-form, indicating the transcendent Pati taking an immanent sign for the sake of cosmic order and recognition by Brahmā and the progenitors.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implicitly points to liṅga-yoni contemplation and liṅga-pūjā as a support for Pāśupata-oriented discipline—seeing Pati (Śiva) and Śakti as the source beyond pasha (bondage) that conditions the paśu (individual soul).