Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

आचार्य-धर्मलक्षण-श्रद्धाभक्तिप्राधान्यं तथा लिङ्गे ध्यान-पूजाविधानसंकेतः

Adhyaya 10

Devanagari script

कुशलाकुशलं कर्म धर्माधर्माविति स्मृतौ धारणार्थे महान् ह्य् एष धर्मशब्दः प्रकीर्तितः

Transliteration

kuśalākuśalaṃ karma dharmādharmāviti smṛtau dhāraṇārthe mahān hy eṣa dharmaśabdaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

Translation

《忆传》（Smṛti）教示：业行有二——善与不善——故名为“达摩”（dharma）与“阿达摩”（adharma）。确然，“达摩”这一伟大之名被宣说为能扶持、能维系者；它是支撑之理。

Word by Word

• kuśala: wholesome, skillful, meritorious

• akuśalam: unwholesome, unskillful, demeritorious

• karma: action, deed

• dharma: righteous order, sustaining law, merit-bearing duty

• adharma: unrighteousness, disorder, demerit-bearing action

• iti: thus

• smṛtau: in the Smṛti tradition

• dhāraṇārthe: in the sense of upholding/sustaining

• mahān: great, exalted

• hi: indeed

• eṣa: this

• dharmaśabdaḥ: the word “dharma”

• prakīrtitaḥ: is declared/proclaimed

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines dharma as “that which upholds,” implying that Linga-puja is not mere ritual but a sustaining discipline: it aligns the pashu (soul) toward dharmic action that supports inner purity and steadiness in devotion to Pati (Shiva).

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

By grounding dharma in the principle of sustaining (dhāraṇā), the verse points to Shiva-tattva as the ultimate support (ādhāra) of order and consciousness—Pati who upholds the cosmos and guides the pashu away from adharma generated by pasha (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A practical takeaway is karma-śuddhi: choosing kuśala (dharmic) actions and rejecting akuśala (adharmic) actions as a foundation for Pashupata-oriented sādhanā, making puja, japa, and vrata effective for loosening pasha.