Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

नन्दिकेश्वरोत्पत्तिः — Nandikesvara’s Origin, Shiva’s Boons, and the Rise of Sacred Rivers

Devanagari script

अहो बलं दैवविधेर् विधातुश्चेति दुःखितः तस्य चार्तस्वरं श्रुत्वा तदाश्रमनिवासिनः

Transliteration

aho balaṃ daivavidher vidhātuśceti duḥkhitaḥ tasya cārtasvaraṃ śrutvā tadāśramanivāsinaḥ

Translation

Sa dalam ng dalamhati, sumigaw siya: “Ay—gaano kalakas ang kautusan ng tadhana, kahit itinakda ng Maylikha!” Nang marinig ang kaniyang daing, ang mga naninirahan sa ashrama ay nagtipon.

Word by Word

• अहो: alas/indeed

• बलम्: power/force

• दैव-विधेः: of destiny’s ordinance

• विधातुः: of the Creator/Disposer (Brahmā as arranger of karmic order)

• च: and

• इति: thus

• दुःखितः: sorrowful/grief-stricken

• तस्य: his

• च: and

• आर्त-स्वरम्: distressed/anguished cry

• श्रुत्वा: having heard

• तत्-आश्रम-निवासिनः: those dwelling in that hermitage

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Daiva (Destiny)

FAQs

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

It frames human suffering as arising within daiva (karmic ordinance), implying that refuge in Pati (Śiva)—often approached through liṅga-pūjā—becomes the turning point beyond mere fatalism.

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

By highlighting the crushing force of destiny under the Creator’s order, the narrative sets up the Shaiva Siddhanta contrast: while pāśa binds the paśu through karmic law, Śiva as Pati is the transcendent Lord whose grace can release the bound soul.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is named in this line; it functions as a narrative trigger (āarta-śabda) that typically leads to guidance—often culminating in liṅga-sevā, prayer, and Pāśupata-oriented discipline to move from lamentation to surrender and purification.