Shloka 32

अलिङ्ग-लिङ्ग-निरूपणं तथा प्राकृत-सृष्टिवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

आकाशेनावृतो वायुर् अहंकारेण शब्दजः महता शब्दहेतुर्वै प्रधानेनावृतः स्वयम्

Transliteration

ākāśenāvṛto vāyur ahaṃkāreṇa śabdajaḥ mahatā śabdaheturvai pradhānenāvṛtaḥ svayam

Translation

Gió (vāyu), sinh từ nguyên lý của âm thanh, được hư không (ākāśa) bao bọc. Ngã chấp (ahaṃkāra) bao bọc nguồn của âm thanh; còn Mahat (đại trí vũ trụ), nguyên nhân của âm thanh ấy, tự nó lại bị Pradhāna (tự tính nguyên sơ) che phủ.

Word by Word

• ākāśena: by ether/space

• āvṛtaḥ: covered/enveloped

• vāyuḥ: air/wind principle

• ahaṃkāreṇa: by ahaṃkāra (ego-principle)

• śabdajaḥ: born of sound / arising from the sound-tanmatra

• mahatā: by Mahat (cosmic intellect)

• śabda-hetuḥ: the cause of sound

• vai: indeed

• pradhānena: by Pradhāna (primordial prakṛti)

• āvṛtaḥ: covered/veiled

• svayam: itself

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the cosmological teaching within the Linga Purana tradition)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames creation as layered coverings (āvṛti) of tattvas; Linga worship aims at piercing these veils—Pradhāna, Mahat, Ahaṃkāra, and the subtle elements—to realize Pati (Shiva) beyond all coverings.

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

By describing how even Mahat is veiled by Pradhāna, the verse implies Shiva-tattva as the transcendent Lord (Pati) who is not a product of these evolutes and is the ultimate revealer beyond Prakṛti’s coverings.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A tattva-viveka (discernment) approach aligned with Pashupata Yoga: meditative withdrawal from gross-to-subtle principles, recognizing each as an āvṛti (covering), culminating in devotion and inner absorption in Shiva beyond Pradhāna.