Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 88

देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च

Devanagari script

जन्माधिपो महादेवः सकलागमपारगः तत्त्वातत्त्वविवेकात्मा विभूष्णुर् भूतिभूषणः

Transliteration

janmādhipo mahādevaḥ sakalāgamapāragaḥ tattvātattvavivekātmā vibhūṣṇur bhūtibhūṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Si Mahādeva ang Panginoon ng lahat ng kapanganakan at pag-usbong, ang guro na nakaabot sa malayong pampang ng bawat Āgama. Ang likas Niya ay ang paghiwalay ng tattva at atattva—tunay at di-tunay. Pinalalamutian ng banal na kapangyarihan, Siya ang hiyas ng lahat ng kasaganaan at sagradong ningning.

Word by Word

• जन्माधिपः (janmādhipaḥ): lord over birth/origination

• महादेवः (mahādevaḥ): the Great God, Shiva as Pati

• सकल-आगम-पारगः (sakala-āgama-pāragaḥ): knower who has reached the far shore of all scriptures/Agamas

• तत्त्व-अतत्त्व-विवेक-आत्मा (tattva-atattva-viveka-ātmā): whose essence is discrimination of truth and non-truth, real and unreal

• विभूष्णुः (vibhūṣṇuḥ): endowed with vibhūti, richly resplendent with divine powers

• भूतिभूषणः (bhūti-bhūṣaṇaḥ): the ornament of bhūti—prosperity, sacred ash/splendor, auspiciousness

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a stuti within the Linga Purana’s Purva-Bhaga context)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Mahadeva)

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as the Agama-transcendent authority behind Linga-puja—worship is validated not merely as ritual, but as alignment with the Lord who is the source of birth and the revealer of true tattva.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati: sovereign over manifestation (birth) and the supreme knower who grants viveka—discernment of tattva vs. atattva—by which the bound soul (Pashu) can recognize and transcend Pasha (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Viveka (discriminative insight) is the implied Pashupata-Yogic practice, supported by Agamic discipline; Shiva’s vibhūti/bhūti also points to sacred-ash symbolism used in Shaiva observances.