Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13

Adhyaya 23: श्वेत-लोहित-पीत-कृष्ण-विश्व-कल्पेषु रुद्रस्वरूप-गायत्री-तत्त्ववर्णनम्

Devanagari script

यदाहं पुनरेवेह पीतवर्णो युगक्रमात् मत्कृतेन च नाम्ना वै पीतकल्पो ऽभवत्तदा

Transliteration

yadāhaṃ punareveha pītavarṇo yugakramāt matkṛtena ca nāmnā vai pītakalpo 'bhavattadā

Translation

当依诸劫(yuga)次第，我再于此显现为黄色之相时，那一创世之周期(劫，kalpa)便以我所立之名而称为“毗多劫”(Pīta-kalpa)。

Word by Word

• yadā: when

• aham: I

• punaḥ eva iha: again indeed here (in this realm)

• pīta-varṇaḥ: of yellow complexion/hue

• yuga-kramāt: according to the sequence/order of the yugas

• mat-kṛtena: made/appointed by me

• ca: and

• nāmnā: by the name

• vai: indeed

• pīta-kalpaḥ: the Pīta Kalpa (Yellow Kalpa)

• abhavat: became/was

• tadā: then

Speaker

Brahma (within Suta's narration to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It situates Linga-centered tradition within recurring cosmic cycles (kalpas), implying that devotion to Pati (Shiva) and the sacred order persists across repeated manifestations of creation.

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

By referencing kalpa and yuga succession, it indirectly contrasts the changing cosmic administration (by Brahma) with Shiva-tattva as Pati—the transcendent ground who is not confined to any single kalpa, even as worship and revelation recur within time.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific puja-vidhi is stated; the takeaway is the kalpa-yuga framework used in the Linga Purana to time revelations of Shaiva dharma, within which Pashupata Yoga and Linga-puja are taught in appropriate eras.