Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

पिता विगतसंज्ञश् च तथा चैव पितामहः विचेष्टश् च ललापासौ मृतवन्निपपात च

Transliteration

pitā vigatasaṃjñaś ca tathā caiva pitāmahaḥ viceṣṭaś ca lalāpāsau mṛtavannipapāta ca

Translation

Nawalan ng malay ang ama, gayundin ang lolo. Kapwa sila naging walang galaw; tumulo ang laway at bumagsak na wari’y patay—dinaganan ng puwersang humihila sa mga pandama at nagbubuklod sa paśu kapag tinatakpan ni Pati ang Kanyang kapangyarihan.

Word by Word

• पिता (pitā): the father

• विगत-संज्ञः (vigata-saṃjñaḥ): bereft of consciousness, insensible

• च (ca): and

• तथा (tathā): likewise

• चैव (caiva): and indeed

• पितामहः (pitāmahaḥ): the grandfather

• विचेष्टः (viceṣṭaḥ): without movement, inert

• च (ca): and

• ललाप (lalāpa): drooled, babbled indistinctly

• असौ (asau): that one/those persons

• मृतवत् (mṛtavat): like the dead

• निपपात (nipapāta): fell down

• च (ca): and

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights that before the Lord-as-Linga, ordinary embodied beings can become powerless; therefore Linga-puja requires steadiness, purity, and surrender to Pati rather than reliance on egoic strength.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as the sovereign power that can withdraw cognition and activity—revealing that prāṇa, mind, and senses function only by His allowance, while the paśu remains limited under pasha (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The implied discipline is pratyāhāra (withdrawal) and inner steadiness central to Pashupata-oriented practice—mastery of senses and breath so the paśu is not overwhelmed when approaching the Lord’s presence.