Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15

विष्णुरुवाच—एकाक्षर-प्रणव-लिङ्ग-व्याप्ति-शिवस्तोत्रम्

Devanagari script

सुताराय विशिष्टाय नमो दुन्दुभिने हर शतरूपविरूपाय नमः केतुमते सदा

Transliteration

sutārāya viśiṣṭāya namo dundubhine hara śatarūpavirūpāya namaḥ ketumate sadā

Translation

顶礼于如星辉耀、最为殊胜者；顶礼于哈罗（Hara），如天鼓（dundubhi）轰鸣，宣告宇宙之法。哦哈罗——敬礼于汝，能现百相亦超越无相；恒常敬礼于汝，觉知之旌旗，永放光明之圣相。

Word by Word

• sutārāya: to the good guide/true helmsman

• viśiṣṭāya: to the distinguished/supremely excellent one

• namaḥ: salutations

• dundubhine: to the drum-sounding one (cosmic resonance/proclamation)

• hara: O Hara (the remover of bondage and sorrow)

• śata-rūpa: of a hundred forms (manifold manifestations)

• virūpāya: to the formless/extra-formal one (beyond limiting form)

• ketumate: to the bannered one/the radiant sign-holder

• sadā: always/ever

Speaker

Suta (narrating a Shiva-stuti within the discourse to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It praises Shiva as both multi-formed and beyond form, supporting Linga-upasana where the Linga functions as the transcendent sign (ketu) of the Formless Pati while still allowing devotion through manifest names and attributes.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati who guides beings (sutara), pervades creation through countless manifestations (śatarūpa), yet remains unrestricted by any single form (virūpa), revealing a Siddhanta-style balance of immanence and transcendence.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A stuti-based upasana: recitation of divine names with contemplation—meditating on Shiva as inner sound/resonance (dundubhi) and as the luminous sign of consciousness (ketumat), dissolving pasha in the pashu through devotion and insight.