Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21

देवदारुवनौकसां प्रति ब्रह्मोपदेशः—लिङ्गलक्षण-प्रतिष्ठा-विधिः, शिवमायारूपदर्शनं, स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

यं दृष्ट्वा सर्वमज्ञानम् अधर्मश् च प्रणश्यति ततः प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा ब्रह्माणममितौजसम्

Transliteration

yaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarvamajñānam adharmaś ca praṇaśyati tataḥ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā brahmāṇamamitaujasam

Translation

Sa pagtanaw sa Kanya, napapawi ang lahat ng kamangmangan at adharma. Pagkaraan, matapos magsagawa ng pradakṣiṇa (pag-ikot na may paggalang), lumapit siya kay Brahmā na may di-masukat na kaningningan.

Word by Word

• यम् (yam): Him (the Supreme Pati, Śiva)

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā): having seen, upon beholding

• सर्वम् (sarvam): all

• अज्ञानम् (ajñānam): ignorance (avidyā, pasha of delusion)

• अधर्मः (adharmaḥ): unrighteousness, anti-dharma

• च (ca): and

• प्रणश्यति (praṇaśyati): is destroyed, perishes

• ततः (tataḥ): then, thereafter

• प्रदक्षिणम् (pradakṣiṇam): circumambulation (clockwise reverential circling)

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā): having done

• ब्रह्माणम् (brahmāṇam): Brahmā

• अमितौजसम् (amitaujasam): of immeasurable radiance/power

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana’s episode; internal action described of a devotee/deva in relation to Brahma and the vision of Shiva)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva-darśana as inherently purificatory: merely beholding the Pati dissolves ajñāna and adharma, and it highlights pradakṣiṇā as a core gesture of Linga-pūjā reverence.

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

Shiva is implied as Pati—the supreme consciousness whose presence burns away avidyā (pāśa) and restores dharma in the paśu (bound soul), indicating His liberating and purifying sovereignty.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pradakṣiṇā (clockwise circumambulation) is emphasized as a devotional rite; yogically, it signals turning one’s awareness around the divine center, with Shiva-darśana functioning as the catalyst for the fall of ignorance.