Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 161

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

Devanagari script

आद्यन्तशून्याय च संस्थिताय तथा त्वशून्याय च लिङ्गिने च अलिङ्गिने लिङ्गमयाय तुभ्यं लिङ्गाय वेदादिमयाय साक्षात्

Transliteration

ādyantaśūnyāya ca saṃsthitāya tathā tvaśūnyāya ca liṅgine ca aliṅgine liṅgamayāya tubhyaṃ liṅgāya vedādimayāya sākṣāt

Translation

Pagpupugay sa Iyo—ang Liṅga—na lampas sa simula at wakas ngunit laging nananatiling nakatatag; hindi kawalan; Ikaw ang Liṅgin (may tanda) at gayon din ang Aliṅgin (lampas sa lahat ng tanda); Ikaw ang diwa ng Liṅga-tattva; at hayag bilang mga Veda at ang kanilang unang pinagmulan, tuwirang naririto bilang Pati, ang Kataas-taasang Katotohanan.

Word by Word

• ādya-anta-śūnyāya: to the One devoid of beginning and end

• ca: and

• saṃsthitāya: to the One firmly established/abiding

• tathā: likewise

• tu: indeed

• aśūnyāya: to the Non-void/Real (not nihilistic emptiness)

• ca: and

• liṅgine: to the Possessor of the liṅga/mark (the Lord who bears the sign)

• ca: and

• aliṅgine: to the Markless One (beyond all signs and attributes)

• liṅga-mayāya: to the One constituted of/manifest as the Linga

• tubhyam: to You

• liṅgāya: to the Linga (as the worshipful form)

• veda-ādi-mayāya: to the One made of the Vedas and their beginning/source

• sākṣāt: directly, manifestly, in immediate presence

Speaker

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

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga as both a tangible focus for puja and the direct presence of the transcendent Pati—beyond beginning/end and beyond all limiting marks—thereby legitimizing Linga-puja as worship of the Supreme, not merely a symbol.

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

Shiva is described as simultaneously liṅgin (the Lord associated with the sacred sign for devotees) and aliṅgin (ultimately nirguṇa/markless). This expresses the Siddhanta-friendly balance: the Pati is transcendent yet graciously accessible through the Linga without being confined by it.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The implied practice is Linga-upāsanā with contemplative insight: worship the visible Linga while meditating on Shiva as sākṣāt—directly present and beyond all attributes—supporting Pashupata-oriented inner recollection alongside external puja.