Shloka 5

Mahādeva’s Boon: Unwavering Bhakti, Tri-functional Cosmos, and the Supratiṣṭhā of Liṅga-Arcā

Devanagari script

ततः प्रहृष्टमनसा प्रणिपत्य महेश्वरम् प्राह नारायणो नाथं लिङ्गस्थं लिङ्गवर्जितम्

Transliteration

tataḥ prahṛṣṭamanasā praṇipatya maheśvaram prāha nārāyaṇo nāthaṃ liṅgasthaṃ liṅgavarjitam

Translation

Bấy giờ Nārāyaṇa, lòng tràn hoan hỷ, cúi mình đảnh lễ Maheśvara và thưa với Đấng Chúa Tể—Đấng an trụ trong Liṅga, nhưng kỳ thực vượt ngoài mọi dấu tướng và thuộc tính, tuy thị hiện như Liṅga.

Word by Word

• ततः: then

• प्रहृष्ट-मनसा: with a delighted/joyful mind

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated/bowed down

• महेश्वरम्: to Mahēśvara (the Great Lord, Pati)

• प्राह: said/spoke

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)

• नाथम्: to the Lord/master

• लिङ्ग-स्थम्: abiding in the Liṅga / present in the Liṅga

• लिङ्ग-वर्जितम्: devoid of liṅga (mark), beyond all signs/attributes

Speaker

Suta (narrating the episode; the direct speaker within the scene is Narayana)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It states the key Liṅga doctrine: Śiva is present “in the Liṅga” for worship and realization, yet remains liṅgavarjita—beyond all signs and limiting attributes—so the symbol leads the paśu (soul) toward the transcendent Pati.

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

Śiva is both immanent and transcendent: accessible through the Liṅga (a manifest support for devotion and contemplation) while remaining nirliṅga—unconditioned, not confined by any form, thereby surpassing all pasha-bound conceptions.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Praṇipāta (prostration) and reverential address to the Liṅga indicate Liṅga-pūjā grounded in bhakti and contemplative insight—seeing the worshiped form as a support for Pāśupata-oriented realization of the formless Pati.