Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

भुवनकोशस्वभाववर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीप-पर्वत-लोकविन्यासः तथा यक्ष-उमा-प्रकाशः

Devanagari script

चित्रैर्मणिमयैः कूटैः शिलाजालैः समुच्छ्रितैः द्वीपस्य तस्य पूर्वार्धे चित्रसानुस्थितो महान्

Transliteration

citrairmaṇimayaiḥ kūṭaiḥ śilājālaiḥ samucchritaiḥ dvīpasya tasya pūrvārdhe citrasānusthito mahān

Translation

Pinalamutian ng sari-saring tuktok na tila hiyas at ng matatayog na salansan ng batong nakaangat, sa silangang kalahati ng pulong iyon ay nakatindig ang isang dakilang bundok na may kamangha-manghang mga dalisdis—isang mapalad at maayos na kaharian na angkop sa Pati (Panginoon), kung saan ang mga paśu ay makalilihis mula sa pāśa tungo kay Śiva sa pamamagitan ng banal na pagtanaw at disiplina.

Word by Word

• चित्रैः: variegated, wondrous

• मणिमयैः: made of gems, jewel-like

• कूटैः: peaks, summits

• शिलाजालैः: networks/lattices of stone

• समुच्छ्रितैः: towering, raised up

• द्वीपस्य: of the island

• तस्य: of that

• पूर्वार्धे: in the eastern half

• चित्रसानुस्थितः: situated on wondrous slopes (sānu = mountain-slope)

• महान्: great, mighty, magnificent

Speaker

Suta Goswami

FAQs

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

By portraying an elevated, jewel-like sacred landscape, the verse frames the cosmos as Shiva’s ordered field where worship and darshana become purifying—preparing the paśu (soul) to approach the Linga as Pati, the supreme refuge.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as the principle of auspicious order and transcendental splendor: the world’s most refined beauty and stability point back to Pati, the ground of all manifestation beyond pāśa (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse chiefly supports tīrtha-darśana and contemplative visualization (bhāvana): seeing sacred order in creation as a Pāśupata aid for loosening attachment and turning the mind toward Shiva.