Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 56

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

मात्रास्तिस्रस्त्वर्धमात्रं नादाख्यं ब्रह्मसंज्ञितम् ऋग्यजुःसामवेदा वै मात्रारूपेण माधवः

Transliteration

mātrāstisrastvardhamātraṃ nādākhyaṃ brahmasaṃjñitam ṛgyajuḥsāmavedā vai mātrārūpeṇa mādhavaḥ

Translation

有三种“量”（mātrā），而半量称为“那陀”（Nāda），亦名为梵（Brahman）。诚然，《梨俱》《夜柔》《娑摩》三吠陀以这些量之形而住；因此，摩陀婆（Mādhava）即以诸量之结构而显现。

Word by Word

• मात्राः (mātrāḥ): measures/syllabic units

• तिस्रः (tisraḥ): three

• तु (tu): and/indeed

• अर्धमात्रम् (ardha-mātram): half-measure

• नादाख्यम् (nāda-ākhyam): termed ‘Nāda’/sound-principle

• ब्रह्मसंज्ञितम् (brahma-saṃjñitam): designated as Brahman

• ऋग्यजुःसामवेदाः (ṛg-yajuḥ-sāma-vedāḥ): the Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma Vedas

• वै (vai): indeed

• मात्रारूपेण (mātrā-rūpeṇa): in the form of mātrās

• माधवः (mādhavaḥ): Mādhava (Vishnu).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the doctrinal teaching within the Purva-Bhaga context)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahman
• Nada
• Rig Veda
• Yajur Veda
• Sama Veda

FAQs

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

It links Linga-upāsanā to the Pranava doctrine: the worshipper contemplates Om’s mātrās and the subtle Nāda (half-mātrā) as Brahman, making mantra-japa and inner sound (nāda-anusandhāna) integral to Shaiva worship.

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

By identifying Nāda as Brahman, it points to Shiva-tattva as the transcendent Pati realized as the subtle sound-principle beyond gross speech—accessible through inner absorption where pasha (bondage) loosens for the pashu (soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pranava-japa with contemplation of the mātrās and the half-mātrā Nāda—used as a yogic support for dhyāna (meditative absorption) and as a mantra-basis in Shaiva puja and Pashupata-aligned inner practice.