Shloka 21

Adhyaya 75: Nishkala–Sakala Shiva, Twofold Linga, and the Supremacy of Dhyana-Yajna

Devanagari script

आध्यात्मिकं च यल्लिङ्गं प्रत्यक्षं यस्य नो भवेत् असौ मूढो बहिः सर्वं कल्पयित्वैव नान्यथा

Transliteration

ādhyātmikaṃ ca yalliṅgaṃ pratyakṣaṃ yasya no bhavet asau mūḍho bahiḥ sarvaṃ kalpayitvaiva nānyathā

Translation

ఆధ్యాత్మికమైన అంతర్లింగం ఎవరికైతే ప్రత్యక్షముగా అనుభవమవదో, అతడు మూర్ఖుడు—అతడు అన్నిటినీ బాహ్యంగానే కల్పించుకొని భావిస్తాడు; ఇతరథా కాదు.

Word by Word

• ādhyātmikam: pertaining to the inner Self/spirit

• ca: and

• yat-liṅgam: that Linga (the inner mark of Pati, Shiva)

• pratyakṣam: directly perceived/manifest

• yasya: for whom

• na: not

• bhavet: becomes/is

• asau: that person

• mūḍhaḥ: deluded/confused

• bahiḥ: outwardly/external

• sarvam: everything

• kalpayitvā: having imagined/constructed mentally

• eva: only/indeed

• na anyathā: not otherwise

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-tattva teaching within the Purva-Bhaga discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It prioritizes the inner Linga—direct inner recognition of Shiva (Pati) within consciousness—over mere externalized, imagined notions; outer worship is meant to mature into inward realization.

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

Shiva is indicated as the inwardly knowable reality (ādhyātmika-liṅga) that should become pratyakṣa through inner clarity; when this is absent, the pashu (bound soul) mistakenly projects truth outward under pasha (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A Pashupata-oriented inward turn: cultivating direct inner perception through dhyāna and viveka so that external worship is not mere kalpanā (mental construction) but a support for realizing the inner Linga.