Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34

ब्रह्मकृत-ईशानस्तवः तथा विश्वरूपदेवी-प्रकृतिरहस्योपदेशः

Devanagari script

गौरी माया च विद्या च कृष्णा हैमवतीति च प्रधानं प्रकृतिश्चैव यामाहुस्तत्त्वचिन्तकाः

Transliteration

gaurī māyā ca vidyā ca kṛṣṇā haimavatīti ca pradhānaṃ prakṛtiścaiva yāmāhustattvacintakāḥ

Translation

她被称为高丽（Gaurī）、摩耶（Māyā）与明智（Vidyā）；亦名黑女（Kṛṣṇā）与雪山之女（Haimavatī）。诸观照真理（tattva）者宣说：她即是本原（Pradhāna）——实为自然根性（Prakṛti），原初之胎藏；藉由她，受缚之灵（paśu）在主宰（Pati）之下经历系缚（pāśa）的戏游。

Word by Word

• गौरी (gaurī): Gaurī, the radiant Goddess/Śakti

• माया (māyā): māyā, veiling power that projects multiplicity

• विद्या (vidyā): knowledge/power of revelation (śakti as vidyā)

• कृष्णा (kṛṣṇā): the dark one, the inscrutable power

• हैमवती (haimavatī): daughter of Himavat, Pārvatī

• इति (iti): thus/so named

• च (ca): and

• प्रधानम् (pradhānam): Pradhāna, the primordial unmanifest source (Sāṅkhya term)

• प्रकृतिः (prakṛtiḥ): Prakṛti, primordial Nature

• एव (eva): indeed

• याम् (yām): whom (her)

• आहुः (āhuḥ): they call/declare

• तत्त्वचिन्तकाः (tattva-cintakāḥ): contemplators/inquirers into principles (tattvas)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya; verse describing Devi/Śakti within the doctrinal exposition)

Characters & Entities

• Gauri
• Maya
• Vidya
• Krishna (as a name of Devi)
• Haimavati (Parvati)

FAQs

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

It frames Śakti (Gaurī) as Prakṛti/Pradhāna—the manifesting power through which worship becomes effective—so Linga worship is understood as honoring Śiva (Pati) together with his inseparable Śakti that governs manifestation and the devotee’s purification.

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

By identifying the Goddess as Prakṛti/Pradhāna, the verse implicitly distinguishes Śiva-tattva as Pati—the transcendent Lord who is not Prakṛti—while remaining inseparable from Śakti as the power that reveals and conceals the world for the paśu.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse is doctrinal rather than procedural, but it supports Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā: discernment of tattvas (tattva-vicāra) to recognize māyā/pāśa and turn the paśu toward Śiva (Pati) through Shakti-informed worship and inner knowledge (vidyā).