Shloka 1

वासिष्ठकथनम् (आदित्य–सोमवंशवर्णनम् तथा रुद्रसहस्रनाम-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

इति श्रीलिङ्गमहापुराणे पूर्वभागे वासिष्ठकथनं नाम चतुःषष्टितमो ऽध्यायः ऋषय ऊचुः आदित्यवंशं सोमस्य वंशं वंशविदां वर वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं संक्षेपाद् रोमहर्षण

Transliteration

iti śrīliṅgamahāpurāṇe pūrvabhāge vāsiṣṭhakathanaṃ nāma catuḥṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ ṛṣaya ūcuḥ ādityavaṃśaṃ somasya vaṃśaṃ vaṃśavidāṃ vara vaktumarhasi cāsmākaṃ saṃkṣepād romaharṣaṇa

Translation

இவ்வாறு ஸ்ரீலிங்கமஹாபுராணத்தின் பூர்வபாகத்தில் ‘வாசிஷ்டகதனம்’ எனப்படும் அறுபத்துநான்காம் அதிகாரம். ரிஷிகள் கூறினர்—ரோமஹர்ஷணரே, வம்சங்களை அறிந்தவர்களில் சிறந்தவரே, எங்களுக்கு சுருக்கமாக ஆதித்யவம்சமும் சோமவம்சமும் கூறுவீராக.

Word by Word

• iti: thus

• śrī-liṅga-mahāpurāṇe: in the auspicious Liṅga Mahāpurāṇa

• pūrva-bhāge: in the first section (Pūrvabhāga)

• vāsiṣṭha-kathanam: the narration/account of Vasiṣṭha

• nāma: named/called

• catuḥṣaṣṭitamaḥ adhyāyaḥ: the sixty-fourth chapter

• ṛṣayaḥ ūcuḥ: the sages said

• āditya-vaṃśam: the Solar lineage/dynasty

• somasya vaṃśam: the Lunar lineage/dynasty

• vaṃśa-vidām vara: O best among the knowers of genealogies

• vaktum arhasi: you ought to tell/please explain

• ca asmākam: and for us

• saṃkṣepāt: in brief

• romaharṣaṇa: O Romaharṣaṇa (Sūta).

Speaker

Sages (Ṛṣis) of Naimiṣāraṇya addressing Sūta Romaharṣaṇa

Characters & Entities

• Romaharṣaṇa
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

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

It frames the Purāṇic transmission: the sages request a concise account of dynasties, which in the Liṅga Purāṇa often serves to anchor Śiva-bhakti, dharma, and the legitimacy of Liṅga installation traditions within sacred royal lineages.

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

Indirectly: by initiating a lineage narrative within a Śaiva Purāṇa, it implies that worldly order (vaṃśa, dharma, kingship) is meaningful when aligned with Pati (Śiva), who governs creation and the liberation of paśus from pāśa through right knowledge and worship.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific ritual is prescribed in this opening request; it prepares the ground for dharma-oriented narratives that typically culminate in Śiva-pūjā, Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā, and disciplines aligned with Pāśupata ideals (self-restraint, devotion, and liberation-oriented conduct).