Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

Adhyaya 63: Daksha’s Progeny, Kashyapa’s Offspring, and the Rishi-Vamshas that Sustain the Worlds

Devanagari script

विश्वेदेवास्तु विश्वायाः साध्या साध्यानजीजनत् मरुत्वत्यां मरुत्वन्तो वसोस्तु वसवस् तथा

Transliteration

viśvedevāstu viśvāyāḥ sādhyā sādhyānajījanat marutvatyāṃ marutvanto vasostu vasavas tathā

Translation

Mula kay Viśvā ay sumibol ang mga Viśvedeva; mula kay Sādhyā ay isinilang ang mga Sādhya. Mula kay Marutvatī ay lumitaw ang mga Marut; at mula kay Vasu ay ang mga Vasu rin—gayon nahayag ang mga pangkat ng mga deva sa daloy ng paglikha, na kumikilos sa ilalim ng Panginoon (Pati) na nagtatakda ng kaayusang kosmiko.

Word by Word

• विश्वेदेवाः: the Viśvedevās (all-gods, a Vedic collective)

• तु: and/indeed

• विश्वायाः: from Viśvā (a progenitress)

• साध्याः: the Sādhyas (a class of deities)

• साध्यान्: the Sādhyas (as offspring/object)

• अजीजनत्: gave birth/produced

• मरुत्वत्याम्: from Marutvatī (a progenitress)

• मरुत्वन्तः: the Maruts (storm-gods)

• वसोः: from Vasu (a progenitor)

• तु: and/indeed

• वसवः: the Vasus (a class of deities)

• तथा: likewise/so also

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the creation sequence to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Viśvedevās
• Sādhyas
• Maruts
• Vasus

FAQs

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

It situates Linga-oriented Shaiva theology within a Vedic creation framework: even the Vedic deva-classes (Viśvedevās, Sādhyas, Maruts, Vasus) arise through ordered manifestation ultimately governed by Pati—Shiva—whose emblem is the Linga, the axis of cosmic regulation.

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

Though Shiva is not named explicitly, the verse supports Shiva-tattva as Pati: the transcendent Lord who enables and regulates the emergence of cosmic powers. The devas are functional agencies within creation, while Pati remains the sovereign ground of order beyond the deva-hierarchy.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific puja-vidhi or Pashupata yoga technique is stated; the takeaway is cosmological orientation—recognizing deva-forces as subordinate to Pati. In practice, this supports directing worship to Shiva-Linga rather than treating deva-powers as ultimate.