Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

बुध्यते पुरुषश्चात्र सर्वान् भावान् हितं तथा यस्माद्बोधयते चैव बुद्धिस्तेन निरुच्यते

Transliteration

budhyate puruṣaścātra sarvān bhāvān hitaṃ tathā yasmādbodhayate caiva buddhistena nirucyate

Translation

Dito, ang Puruṣa ay nagkakamalay sa lahat ng kalagayan ng pag-iral at sa tunay na kapakinabangan; at sapagkat ito ang nagpapakilala at nagpapagising, kaya ito’y tinatawag na Buddhi (talino/isip).

Word by Word

• budhyate: awakens/understands

• puruṣaḥ: the conscious self (pashu/jīva as knower)

• ca: and

• atra: here/in this context

• sarvān: all

• bhāvān: states/conditions/mental objects

• hitam: the beneficial/the good

• tathā: likewise/also

• yasmāt: because/from which

• bodhayate: makes (one) know/causes awakening

• caiva: and indeed

• buddhiḥ: intellect/discriminative faculty

• tena: therefore/by that reason

• nirucyate: is defined/declared (by etymological explanation)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames worship as inner awakening: Buddhi is the faculty by which the pashu discerns hita (the truly beneficial) and turns from pasha (bondage) toward Pati (Shiva), making Linga-puja a practice of viveka, not mere external ritual.

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

By highlighting awakening and right knowing, it implies Shiva-tattva as the supreme light of consciousness toward which buddhi guides the individual self; buddhi functions as an instrument that orients awareness to the Lord’s reality.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to jñāna-yoga within Pashupata discipline—cultivating buddhi (discriminative intellect) to recognize all bhāvas and choose hita—supporting steady dhyāna on Shiva and purified intention in Linga-puja.