Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11

Adhyaya 73 — त्रिपुरदाहे ब्रह्मस्तवः

Brahmā’s Hymn in the Context of Tripura’s Burning

Devanagari script

पूजनीयो महादेवो लिङ्गमूर्तिः सनातनः विशोध्य चैव भूतानि पञ्चभिः प्रणवैः समम्

Transliteration

pūjanīyo mahādevo liṅgamūrtiḥ sanātanaḥ viśodhya caiva bhūtāni pañcabhiḥ praṇavaiḥ samam

Translation

Si Mahādeva—walang hanggan at nakatatag bilang mismong anyo ng Liṅga—ay dapat sambahin. Bago simulan ang ritwal, linisin muna ang limang bhūta (mga sangkap-elemento) sa pamamagitan ng limang-ulit na Praṇava, upang umayon sa banal na panginginig ng Oṁ.

Word by Word

• pūjanīyaḥ: worthy of worship

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva (Śiva, the Supreme Pati)

• liṅga-mūrtiḥ: having the Liṅga as His manifest form

• sanātanaḥ: eternal, beginningless

• viśodhya: having purified, cleansed

• ca eva: and indeed

• bhūtāni: the elements/constituents (earth, water, fire, air, ether) and the embodied field

• pañcabhiḥ: by five (fivefold)

• praṇavaiḥ: Praṇavas (the sacred Oṁ-formulas/vibrations)

• samam: together, in unison, harmoniously

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja instructions to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mahadeva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It sets the puja order: Śiva as the eternal Liṅga-form is worshipped only after bhūta-śuddhi, i.e., purifying the practitioner’s elemental body-mind field through Praṇava-based sanctification.

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

Śiva is presented as Sanātana Pati—the timeless Lord—whose accessible icon is the Liṅga-mūrti, indicating transcendence expressed through a sacred, formless-form used for realization and worship.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Bhūta-śuddhi using a fivefold Praṇava—an inner purification aligned with Pāśupata discipline—preparing the pashu (individual self) to approach Pati by loosening pasha (bondage) through mantra and consecrated awareness.