Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 158

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

नमोनमः सर्वविदे शिवाय रुद्राय शर्वाय भवाय तुभ्यम् स्थूलाय सूक्ष्माय सुसूक्ष्मसूक्ष्मसूक्ष्माय सूक्ष्मार्थविदे विधात्रे

Transliteration

namonamaḥ sarvavide śivāya rudrāya śarvāya bhavāya tubhyam sthūlāya sūkṣmāya susūkṣmasūkṣmasūkṣmāya sūkṣmārthavide vidhātre

Translation

Pagpupugay, pagpupugay nang paulit-ulit sa Iyo—kay Śiva na Ganap na Nakaaalam; kay Rudra, Śarva, at Bhava. Pagpupugay sa Iyo bilang ang magaspang at ang maselan, at bilang ang sukdulang maselan na lampas sa maselan; sa Nakaaalam ng lihim na diwa ng lahat ng tattva, sa Vidhātṛ—Pati, ang Tagapag-ayos at Tagapamahala ng lahat ng pag-iral.

Word by Word

• नमोनमः: repeated salutations

• सर्वविदे: to the all-knowing

• शिवाय: to Śiva (the auspicious, Pati)

• रुद्राय: to Rudra (the remover of sorrow, fierce grace)

• शर्वाय: to Śarva (the destroyer/archer, dissolver of bonds)

• भवाय: to Bhava (Lord of becoming/existence)

• तुभ्यम्: to You

• स्थूलाय: to the gross/manifest form

• सूक्ष्माय: to the subtle/unmanifest

• सुसूक्ष्मसूक्ष्मसूक्ष्माय: to the exceedingly subtle—beyond even the subtle

• सूक्ष्मार्थविदे: to the knower of subtle meanings/inner purport of tattvas

• विधात्रे: to the ordainer/creator-regulator (dispenser of destinies)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a stuti within the Purva-Bhaga discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Sharva
• Bhava

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-worship as adoration of Shiva across all levels of reality—manifest (sthūla), subtle (sūkṣma), and transcendent (susūkṣma)—so the Linga is approached not merely as an icon but as Pati, the all-governing consciousness.

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

Shiva is praised as Sarvavit (all-knowing) and as the ground of both gross and subtle existence, yet also as ‘more subtle than the subtle,’ indicating a transcendent Shiva-tattva that surpasses all tattvas while still ordaining them as Vidhātr̥.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-stuti and contemplative upāsanā: the devotee should meditate on Shiva as the inner meaning of all subtle principles (sūkṣmārtha-vid), a Pāśupata-oriented insight that loosens pāśa (bondage) for the paśu (soul) by turning awareness to Pati.