Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31

विष्णुरुवाच—एकाक्षर-प्रणव-लिङ्ग-व्याप्ति-शिवस्तोत्रम्

Devanagari script

नमः सोमाय सूर्याय भवाय भवहारिणे यशस्कराय देवाय शङ्करायेश्वराय च

Transliteration

namaḥ somāya sūryāya bhavāya bhavahāriṇe yaśaskarāya devāya śaṅkarāyeśvarāya ca

Translation

顶礼汝，汝为苏摩（Soma）亦为日神（Sūrya）；顶礼婆伐（Bhava），能除世间流转之主。顶礼赐荣光之天神（Deva）；顶礼吉祥者商羯罗（Śaṅkara）；并顶礼自在天（Īśvara）至上之主——为主宰（Pati），解脱众生（paśu）离系缚（pāśa）。

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutations

• somāya: to Soma (the Moon / Lord as the lunar principle)

• sūryāya: to Surya (the Sun / Lord as the solar principle)

• bhavāya: to Bhava (Shiva as Being/Becoming)

• bhavahāriṇe: to the remover of bhava (cycle of birth-and-death)

• yaśas-karāya: to the maker/bestower of fame and spiritual glory

• devāya: to the shining Deva, the divine Lord

• śaṅkarāya: to Shankara, the auspicious benefactor

• īśvarāya: to Ishvara, the sovereign Lord

• ca: and.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a stotra within the Purva-Bhaga context)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Soma
• Surya

FAQs

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

It functions as a name-based invocation (stuti) aligning the worshipper with Shiva as the inner light of Soma and Surya, and as Bhavahārin—one who dissolves samsaric bondage—making it ideal as a preliminary mantra before Linga-puja.

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

Shiva is presented as Ishvara (Pati), sovereign over cosmic principles (moon and sun) and as Shankara, whose grace turns the pashu away from bhava (repeated becoming) by removing pasha (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Japa of Shiva’s epithets as a preparatory limb of puja and Pashupata-oriented sadhana—centering awareness on the Lord as the remover of bhava to cultivate vairagya and devotion (bhakti) before offerings to the Linga.