Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 88

अध्याय ९६: शरभ-प्रादुर्भावः, नृसिंह-दर्पशमनम्, विष्णोः शिवस्तुतिः, फलश्रुति

Devanagari script

कपालिने करालाय पतये पुण्यकीर्त्तये अमोघायाग्निनेत्राय लकुलीशाय शंभवे

Transliteration

kapāline karālāya pataye puṇyakīrttaye amoghāyāgninetrāya lakulīśāya śaṃbhave

Translation

Pagpupugay sa Kapālin, ang Tagapagdala ng bungo; sa Nakapanghihilakbot na Anyô. Pagpupugay sa Pati, na banal ang Kanyang kabanalan at papuri. Pagpupugay sa Di-Nabibigo, na may matang nagliliyab. Pagpupugay kay Lakulīśa at kay Śambhu—ang Mapalad na Tagapagpalaya sa mga kaluluwang nakagapos.

Word by Word

• kapāline: to the skull-bearing ascetic (Kāpālin)

• karālāya: to the fearsome/terrible-formed One

• pataye: to the Lord, Master (Pati) of all pashus (souls)

• puṇya-kīrttaye: to Him whose renown is meritorious and purifying

• amoghāya: to the unfailing, unerring One

• agni-netrāya: to Him whose eye is fire (the burning, transformative gaze)

• lakulīśāya: to Lakulīśa, the Pāśupata teacher and Shiva-incarnation

• śaṃbhave: to Śambhu, the auspicious benefactor

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a Shiva-nama stuti within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Lakulisha

FAQs

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

It functions as a nama-stuti (name-hymn) used in Linga-puja to invoke Shiva as Pati—the Lord who purifies merit (puṇya-kīrti) and destroys inner impurity through His agni-netra, making the worship spiritually effective for the bound soul (paśu).

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

Shiva is praised as both terrifying (karāla) and auspicious (śambhu): dreadful to pasha (bondage and ignorance) yet benevolent to the paśu (soul). As Pati and amogha, His will and grace are unfailing in liberating and transforming.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

By naming Lakulīśa, the verse points to the Pāśupata stream—devotional recitation, disciplined conduct, and yogic austerity oriented to Shiva as Pati—integrated into Linga-puja through mantra-like remembrance of Shiva’s epithets.