Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

ध्यानयज्ञः, संसार-विष-निरूपणम्, पाशुपतयोगः, परा-अपरा विद्या, चतुर्वस्था-विचारः (अध्यायः ८६)

Devanagari script

पैशाचे राक्षसे दुःखं याक्षे चैव विचारतः गान्धर्वे च तथा चान्द्रे सौम्यलोके द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

paiśāce rākṣase duḥkhaṃ yākṣe caiva vicārataḥ gāndharve ca tathā cāndre saumyaloke dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Sa mga daigdig ng Paiśāca at Rākṣasa ay may pagdurusa; at sa daigdig ng Yakṣa rin, kapag pinag-isipan. Sa daigdig ng Gandharva at gayundin sa mundong Cāndra (lunar) ay ganoon din; ngunit sa banayad na Saumya-loka, O pinakamainam sa mga dalawang-ulit na isinilang, mas mapalad ang kalagayan.

Word by Word

• पैशाचे: in the Paiśāca realm

• राक्षसे: in the Rākṣasa realm

• दुःखं: suffering, misery

• याक्षे: in the Yakṣa realm

• च एव: and indeed

• विचारतः: upon consideration, by discernment

• गान्धर्वे: in the Gandharva realm

• च तथा: and likewise

• चान्द्रे: in the lunar (Cāndra) world

• सौम्यलोके: in the Saumya-loka (gentle/benign world)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (address to Brahmins/sages).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana discourse to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Yaksha
• Gandharva
• Chandra (Moon)

FAQs

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

It frames worldly and celestial realms as still within karma-bound experience; Linga worship is implied as a Shaiva means to turn the pashu away from loka-seeking and toward Pati (Shiva), who grants freedom beyond all lokas.

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

By contrasting suffering and limited auspiciousness across realms, the verse points to the Shaiva Siddhanta stance that Shiva-tattva is not a loka but the transcendent Pati—beyond pleasure-pain duality and beyond karmic destinations.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A practice of viveka (discriminative reflection) is explicit (vicārataḥ), aligning with Pashupata-oriented vairagya: discerning the limits of all worlds and directing sadhana toward Shiva through mantra, puja, and inner detachment.