Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

Adhyaya 22 — शिवानुग्रहः, ब्रह्मतपः, एकादशरुद्राः तथा प्राणतत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

प्रजाः स्रष्टुमनाश्चक्रे तप उग्रं पितामहः तस्यैवं तप्यमानस्य न किंचित् समवर्तत

Transliteration

prajāḥ sraṣṭumanāścakre tapa ugraṃ pitāmahaḥ tasyaivaṃ tapyamānasya na kiṃcit samavartata

Translation

Ninais ni Pitāmaha (Brahmā) na lumikha ng mga nilalang, kaya nagsagawa siya ng mabagsik na tapas, ang mahigpit na pag-aayuno at pagninilay. Ngunit kahit sa gayong pagtitiyaga, wala ni anuman ang nagpakita o nalikha.

Word by Word

• प्रजाः (prajāḥ): creatures, subjects, progeny

• स्रष्टुम् (sraṣṭum): to create, to bring forth

• अनाः (anāḥ): intention, resolve (as ‘with the intention’)

• चक्रे (cakre): he did, he undertook

• तपः (tapaḥ): austerity, concentrated spiritual heat

• उग्रम् (ugram): intense, fierce

• पितामहः (pitāmahaḥ): the Grandfather, Brahmā

• तस्य (tasya): of him

• एवम् (evam): thus

• तप्यमानस्य (tapyamānasya): while performing austerity, while heating himself with tapas

• न (na): not

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit): anything at all

• समवर्तत (samavartata): came to be, arose, came into effect.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Brahma’s account within the creation narrative)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma (Pitamaha)

FAQs

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

It establishes that mere effort (even Brahmā’s intense tapas) cannot generate manifestation without the sanction of Pati—Shiva—whose Linga signifies the unconditioned source from which creation truly proceeds.

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

By showing Brahmā’s tapas yielding ‘nothing,’ it implies Shiva-tattva as the indispensable, transcendent ground of becoming—beyond the creator’s personal capacity—through whose grace (anugraha) the cosmos can arise.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Tapas as a Pāśupata-aligned discipline: concentrated inner heat and restraint aimed at aligning the pashu (soul/agent) with Pati’s will—yet the verse stresses that attainment depends on divine enablement, not effort alone.