Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

Indra’s Account: Shilada’s Tapas and Shiva’s Manifestation as Nandi

Devanagari script

ईशानो निरृतिर्यक्षो यमो वरुण एव च विश्वेदेवास् तथा रुद्रा वसवश् च महाबलाः

Transliteration

īśāno nirṛtiryakṣo yamo varuṇa eva ca viśvedevās tathā rudrā vasavaś ca mahābalāḥ

Translation

Si Īśāna, Nirṛti, ang mga pangkat ng Yakṣa, si Yama at si Varuṇa; gayundin ang mga Viśvedevā, ang mga Rudra, at ang makapangyarihang mga Vasu—lahat sila’y mga dakilang puwersang banal na nakahanay sa ilalim ng kosmikong pamamahala ng Panginoon.

Word by Word

• īśānaḥ: Īśāna (a form/name of Shiva

• nirṛtiḥ: Nirṛti (deity of dissolution/inauspicious quarter)

• yakṣaḥ: Yakṣa beings/guardians of treasures

• yamaḥ: Yama (lord of death and dharma-restraint)

• varuṇaḥ: Varuṇa (lord of waters and ṛta)

• eva ca: and indeed

• viśvedevāḥ: the Viśvedevās (collective Vedic deities)

• tathā: likewise

• rudrāḥ: the Rudras (Shiva’s fierce divine forms)

• vasavaḥ: the Vasus (eight elemental deities)

• mahābalāḥ: great in power/mighty.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purva-Bhaga account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Ishana (Shiva)
• Nirrti
• Yakshas
• Yama
• Varuna
• Vishvedevas
• Rudras
• Vasus

FAQs

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

It frames Linga worship as devotion to Pati (Shiva/Īśāna), under whom all cosmic powers—Rudras, Vasus, and Vedic deities—function, implying that honoring the Linga honors the very governance behind the universe.

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

By placing Īśāna at the head of multiple divine classes, it hints at Shiva-tattva as sovereign Pati: the transcendent lord whose will integrates diverse deities and forces into a single, ordered reality.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports a Pāśupata-aligned discipline of ‘saṃyama with ṛta’—bringing the pashu (individual soul) into harmony with cosmic law through Rudra-oriented worship (Linga-puja) and restraint associated with Yama and Varuṇa.