Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 81

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

Devanagari script

अनावृष्ट्या हते लोके ह्य् उग्रे लोकेश्वरैः सह वसिष्ठस्तपसा धीमान् धारयामास वै प्रजाः

Transliteration

anāvṛṣṭyā hate loke hy ugre lokeśvaraiḥ saha vasiṣṭhastapasā dhīmān dhārayāmāsa vai prajāḥ

Translation

Nang salantain ng matinding salot ng tagtuyot ang daigdig, ang marunong na si Vasiṣṭha—kasama ang mga tagapangalaga ng mga daigdig—ay nagtaguyod at nagpanatili sa mga nilalang sa pamamagitan ng kapangyarihan ng kanyang tapas, iniingatan ang kaayusang sa huli’y nakasalig sa Panginoon (Pati).

Word by Word

• anāvṛṣṭyā: by lack of rain, by drought

• hate: struck, afflicted

• loke: in the world

• hi: indeed

• ugre: fierce, terrible

• lokeśvaraiḥ: with the lords/guardians of the worlds

• saha: together with

• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Sage Vasiṣṭha

• tapasā: by austerity, ascetic power

• dhīmān: the wise one, the discerning

• dhārayāmāsa: upheld, supported, sustained

• vai: verily

• prajāḥ: creatures, subjects, living beings

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Lokapālas (Lokeśvaras)

FAQs

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

It highlights that worldly stability (dharma and prajā-rakṣaṇa) is preserved through sacred power aligned to Pati (Śiva); Linga worship trains the devotee to seek that sustaining grace beyond external calamities like drought.

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

Though Śiva is not named directly, the verse implies the Shaiva principle that all support of the cosmos ultimately rests in Pati; tapas and the Lokapālas function as instruments within His sustaining order (niyati).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Tapas (austerity) is emphasized—akin to Pāśupata-oriented discipline where inner heat, restraint, and focused resolve become a means to uphold beings (prajāḥ) and restore balance during crisis.