Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14

Aghora-Mantra Japa: Graded Expiations, Pañcagavya Purification, and Homa for Mahāpātaka-Nivṛtti

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मघ्नश् च जपेदेवं मानसं वै पितामह संपर्कात्पापिनां पापं तत्समं परिभाषितम्

Transliteration

brahmaghnaś ca japedevaṃ mānasaṃ vai pitāmaha saṃparkātpāpināṃ pāpaṃ tatsamaṃ paribhāṣitam

Translation

Hỡi Pitāmaha, ngay cả kẻ sát hại một brāhmaṇa cũng nên trì niệm trong tâm danh hiệu của Đấng Thần Linh. Vì đã được tuyên bố rằng do tiếp xúc với kẻ tội lỗi, người ta mắc tội ngang bằng; bởi vậy japa nội tâm được chỉ dạy như sự thanh tẩy.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मघ्नः: slayer of a brāhmaṇa

• च: and/even

• जपेत्: should repeat (japa)

• देवं: the Deva, the Divine Lord (Śiva)

• मानसम्: mentally, inwardly

• वै: indeed

• पितामह: O Grandfather (Brahmā)

• संपर्कात्: from association/contact

• पापिनाम्: of sinners

• पापम्: sin

• तत्समम्: equal to that (same measure)

• परिभाषितम्: is declared/defined

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a doctrinal statement within the Purva-Bhaga’s purification discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma (Pitamaha)

FAQs

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

It prioritizes inward Shiva-remembrance (mānasa-japa) as a purifying core of worship—showing that devotion to Pati (Śiva) cleanses the pashu even when external purity is compromised.

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

Śiva is implied as the supreme purifier whose name and contemplation burn pāpa and weaken pasha (bondage), restoring the soul’s fitness for dharma and worship.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mānasa-japa—mental repetition/meditation on Śiva’s name—aligned with a Pāśupata-oriented inner discipline where purification begins in consciousness rather than mere external rites.