Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 150

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

प्रकाशाद् बहिरन्तश् च ऊर्ध्वस्रोतोद्भवाः स्मृताः ते ऊर्ध्वस्रोतसो ज्ञेयास् तुष्टात्मानो बुधैः स्मृताः

Transliteration

prakāśād bahirantaś ca ūrdhvasrotodbhavāḥ smṛtāḥ te ūrdhvasrotaso jñeyās tuṣṭātmāno budhaiḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Mula sa prinsipyong maningning, sa loob at labas, sila’y sinasabing lumitaw bilang Ūrdhvasrotas (ūrdhvasrotas). Kilalanin sila bilang Ūrdhvasrotas—mga kaluluwang may panloob na kapanatagan at nalinis—gaya ng ipinahayag ng mga pantas.

Word by Word

• प्रकाशात् (prakāśāt): from light, from luminosity

• बहिः (bahiḥ): outwardly

• अन्तः (antaḥ): inwardly

• च (ca): and

• ऊर्ध्वस्रोत-उद्भवाः (ūrdhvasrota-udbhavāḥ): those arisen as upward-flowing, born with an upward current

• स्मृताः (smṛtāḥ): are remembered/declared

• ते (te): they

• ऊर्ध्वस्रोतसः (ūrdhvasrotasaḥ): the upward-flowing ones

• ज्ञेयाः (jñeyāḥ): are to be known

• तुष्ट-आत्मानः (tuṣṭa-ātmānaḥ): content in self, satisfied in the inner being

• बुधैः (budhaiḥ): by the wise

• स्मृताः (smṛtāḥ): are taught/affirmed.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purva-Bhaga teachings to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It links spiritual ascent to prakāśa (inner luminosity), implying that Linga-upāsanā aims to turn the pashu’s energies upward—toward Shiva (Pati)—until the soul becomes inwardly content and purified.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as prakāśa—self-luminous consciousness—by which beings become ‘ūrdhvasrotas,’ oriented upward from bondage (pāśa) toward the Lord’s clarifying light and grace.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A yogic principle is emphasized: redirecting the ‘flow’ upward (ūrdhva-srotas)—sense-control, inner purification, and meditative ascent consistent with Pāśupata-oriented discipline leading to tuṣṭātmā (settled, content awareness).