Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

एकार्णव-सृष्टिक्रमः, ब्रह्म-विष्णु-परस्परप्रवेशः, शिवस्य आगमनं च

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः कथं पाद्मे पुरा कल्पे ब्रह्मा पद्मोद्भवो ऽभवत् भवं च दृष्टवांस्तेन ब्रह्मणा पुरुषोत्तमः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kathaṃ pādme purā kalpe brahmā padmodbhavo 'bhavat bhavaṃ ca dṛṣṭavāṃstena brahmaṇā puruṣottamaḥ

Translation

诸仙人说道：在久远的莲华劫（Pādma-kalpa）中，莲生的梵天如何出生？那位梵天又如何得见婆伐（Bhava，主湿婆）？并且，他又如何得以见到或认知至上之人——普鲁绍塔玛（Puruṣottama）？

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages

• ऊचुः: said

• कथम्: how

• पाद्मे: in the Pādma (Lotus) [kalpa]

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times

• कल्पे: in the aeon

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā

• पद्मोद्भवः: lotus-born

• अभवत्: became/was

• भवम्: Bhava (Śiva)

• च: and

• दृष्टवान्: saw/beheld

• तेन: by him/that

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the Supreme Person (highest Puruṣa)

Speaker

Sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (ṛṣayaḥ), addressing Sūta

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Shiva
• Puruṣottama

FAQs

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

It frames the cosmogonic inquiry that leads to Śiva (Bhava) being revealed as the primordial Pati, the source and goal behind creation—an essential premise for understanding why the Liṅga is worshiped as the unmanifest foundation of all manifested forms.

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

By naming Śiva as “Bhava” and placing the focus on Brahmā’s direct vision of him, the verse points to Śiva-tattva as the supreme reality that even the creator must encounter—transcending pasha (bondage) and illuminating the pashu (individual soul) through revelation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is prescribed in this shloka; it establishes the narrative basis for later teachings where Brahmā’s ‘vision’ becomes a model for Pāśupata-style contemplation—seeking direct realization of Pati (Śiva) rather than mere conceptual knowledge.