Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Vighneshvara-Prashna and Deva-Krita Shiva-Stava

Adhyaya 104

Devanagari script

स्थानपञ्चकसंस्थाय पञ्चधाण्डबहिः क्रमात् ब्रह्मणे विष्णवे तुभ्यं कुमाराय नमोनमः

Transliteration

sthānapañcakasaṃsthāya pañcadhāṇḍabahiḥ kramāt brahmaṇe viṣṇave tubhyaṃ kumārāya namonamaḥ

Translation

再拜、再拜于您——安住为五重“处所”（实相之五位）者，并依次超越五重覆障（限制之五壳）者。礼敬梵天，礼敬毗湿奴，亦礼敬于您——神圣的童子库玛罗（Skanda）；在您之中，主宰Pati为拔济被缚之众生（paśu）而显现。

Word by Word

• स्थान-पञ्चक (sthāna-pañcaka): the five stations/levels of reality

• संस्थाय (saṃsthāya): abiding, established

• पञ्च (pañca): five

• धाण्ड-बहिḥ (dhāṇḍa-bahiḥ): outside/beyond the enclosures or sheath-like limitations

• क्रमात् (kramāt): in due order, successively

• ब्रह्मणे (brahmaṇe): to Brahmā

• विष्णवे (viṣṇave): to Viṣṇu

• तुभ्यं (tubhyaṃ): to You

• कुमाराय (kumārāya): to Kumāra/Skanda

• नमो नमः (namo namaḥ): repeated salutations

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a received stuti within the Linga Purana’s discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Kumara (Skanda)

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-centered devotion as a movement from limited, fivefold coverings toward the transcendent Pati, while honoring cosmic functions (Brahmā and Viṣṇu) as subordinate to the higher Shaiva principle manifesting even as Kumāra.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as the one who both pervades structured reality (the five stations) and surpasses limitation (beyond the five enclosures), i.e., immanent and transcendent—Pati who frees the paśu from pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes stuti (praise) as a Pāśupata-aligned practice: through ordered contemplation of tattva-levels and surrender (namo namaḥ), the practitioner seeks to transcend the fivefold bonds and approach the Lord’s liberating grace.