Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 110

अध्याय ८२ — व्यपोहनस्तवः (पापव्यपोहन-स्तोत्रम्)

Devanagari script

भूताः प्रेताः पिशाचाश् च कूष्माण्डगणनायकाः कूष्माण्डकाश् च ते पापं व्यपोहन्तु समाहिताः

Transliteration

bhūtāḥ pretāḥ piśācāś ca kūṣmāṇḍagaṇanāyakāḥ kūṣmāṇḍakāś ca te pāpaṃ vyapohantu samāhitāḥ

Translation

Nawa’y ang mga bhūta, preta, at piśāca, kasama ang mga pinuno ng pangkat ng Kūṣmāṇḍa at ang mga Kūṣmāṇḍa mismo—na may ganap na pagtuon—ang magtaboy ng kasalanan (pāpa) mula sa akin, sa loob ng mapagkalingang saklaw ni Pati (Śiva), ang nagpapalaya sa paśu mula sa tali ng pāśa.

Word by Word

• भूताः (bhūtāḥ): elemental spirits/ghostly beings

• प्रेताः (pretāḥ): departed spirits/pretas

• पिशाचाः (piśācāḥ): flesh-eating spirits/piśācas

• च (ca): and

• कूष्माण्ड-गण-नायकाः (kūṣmāṇḍa-gaṇa-nāyakāḥ): leaders of the Kūṣmāṇḍa troops

• कूष्माण्डकाः (kūṣmāṇḍakāḥ): Kūṣmāṇḍa beings

• च (ca): and

• ते (te): those/they

• पापम् (pāpam): sin, demerit, impurity

• व्यपोहन्तु (vyapohantu): may they remove/drive away

• समाहिताः (samāhitāḥ): composed, concentrated, attentive

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a protective/ritual formula within the Linga Purana’s Shiva-oriented context)

Characters & Entities

• Bhutas
• Pretas
• Pishachas
• Kushmanda Ganas

FAQs

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

It functions as a rakṣā-invocation: even fearsome beings associated with Shiva’s retinue are enjoined to protect the sādhaka and remove pāpa and obstacles, supporting steady Linga-pūjā and japa.

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

Implicitly, it shows Shiva as Pati—the sovereign whose order governs all classes of beings; those who could bind or terrify are redirected into protection, indicating Shiva’s mastery over pāśa and his power to purify the paśu.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Protective mantra-prayoga (rakṣā) used alongside Shiva-upāsanā—meant to stabilize the practitioner’s concentration (samāhita) and clear impediments before/within Pāśupata-oriented worship.