Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 104

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

Devanagari script

ईदृशान् ते ऽवताराणि दृष्ट्वा शिव बहूंस्तमः कदाचित् संदिहेन् नास्मांस् त्वच्चिन्तास्तमया तथा

Transliteration

īdṛśān te 'vatārāṇi dṛṣṭvā śiva bahūṃstamaḥ kadācit saṃdihen nāsmāṃs tvaccintāstamayā tathā

Translation

Ôi Śiva, đã được chiêm kiến bao lần giáng hiện của Ngài như thế, xin bóng tối và mê lầm đừng bao giờ khiến chúng con còn nghi hoặc nữa; vì cũng chính sự quán niệm về Ngài làm cho bóng tối ấy lắng tan.

Word by Word

• īdṛśān: of such a kind

• te: your

• avatārāṇi: descents/manifestations

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen

• śiva: O Shiva

• bahūn: many

• tamaḥ: darkness, ignorance, delusion

• kadācit: ever/at any time

• saṃdihen: may (we) doubt

• na: not

• asmān: us

• tvat-cintā: contemplation/meditation on You

• tamayā: by that (darkness) / with respect to darkness

• tathā: thus/in that manner (i.e., it subsides).

Speaker

Devotees/Devas addressing Shiva (within Suta’s narration to the sages)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-oriented devotion as tvat-cintā—steady contemplation of Shiva—which directly removes tamas (spiritual darkness) and prevents doubt, making worship a means of releasing the pashu from pasha.

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

Shiva is implied as Pati, the revealer whose manifestations (avatāras) and presence in contemplation dissolve ignorance; His tattva is self-luminous and dispels tamas rather than being affected by it.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The key practice is Shiva-cintā (meditative remembrance), aligned with Pashupata Yoga: sustained contemplation that burns tamas and stabilizes faith, supporting both inner japa/dhyāna and outer Linga-pūjā.