Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10

ब्रह्मकृत-ईशानस्तवः तथा विश्वरूपदेवी-प्रकृतिरहस्योपदेशः

Devanagari script

अभवे च भवे तुभ्यं तथा नातिभवे नमः भवोद्भव भवेशान मां भजस्व महाद्युते

Transliteration

abhave ca bhave tubhyaṃ tathā nātibhave namaḥ bhavodbhava bhaveśāna māṃ bhajasva mahādyute

Translation

顶礼于汝——超越一切“成”(有为)者；亦顶礼于汝——示现为“成”者；并顶礼于汝——非过度之“成”者。噢万有成起之源，噢“婆伐”(Bhava，存在)之主，噢大光辉者——愿垂慈于我，摄受我入汝归依之所。

Word by Word

• abhave: in non-becoming / beyond manifestation

• ca: and

• bhave: in becoming / in manifested existence

• tubhyam: to You

• tathā: likewise

• na-atibhave: not in excessive becoming / not in over-manifest proliferation

• namaḥ: salutation

• bhava-udbhava: the source from which becoming arises

• bhava-īśāna: Lord of existence / Lord named Bhava

• mām: me

• bhajasva: favor, accept, take refuge of / be gracious to

• mahā-dyute: O One of great splendor

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a devotional stuti as preserved in the Linga Purana’s Purva-Bhaga context)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as both transcendent (abhava) and immanent (bhava), guiding the devotee to worship the Linga as the sign of Pati who pervades manifestation yet remains beyond it.

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

Shiva is praised as Bhavodbhava—the very ground from which all becoming arises—while also being beyond becoming; this expresses Pati as the absolute who rules bhava without being bound by it.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The key practice is śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) through stuti: the pashu (soul) turns toward Pati for grace to loosen pāśa (bondage), aligning with Pāśupata-oriented devotion.