Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

लिङ्गार्चनविधिक्रमः—शुद्धि, न्यास, आसनकल्पना, अभिषेक, स्तोत्र-प्रदक्षिणा

Adhyaya 27

Devanagari script

तस्य पूर्वदलं साक्षाद् अणिमामयम् अक्षरम् लघिमा दक्षिणं चैव महिमा पश्चिमं तथा

Transliteration

tasya pūrvadalaṃ sākṣād aṇimāmayam akṣaram laghimā dakṣiṇaṃ caiva mahimā paścimaṃ tathā

Translation

于此秘莲（坛城）之中，东方之瓣确为不坏之音节，具现“阿尼玛”（Aṇimā，微细之力）；南方之瓣为“拉吉玛”（Laghimā，轻盈之力）；西方之瓣亦为“摩希玛”（Mahimā，广大之力）。

Word by Word

• tasya: of that

• pūrva-dalam: eastern petal (of the lotus/mandala)

• sākṣāt: directly, verily

• aṇimā-mayam: consisting of/embodying Aṇimā (minuteness)

• akṣaram: the imperishable syllable/letter (akṣara)

• laghimā: Laghimā (lightness)

• dakṣiṇam: southern (petal/direction)

• ca eva: and indeed

• mahimā: Mahimā (greatness/vastness)

• paścimam: western (petal/direction)

• tathā: likewise, in the same manner.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya, describing an internal Shaiva yogic mapping)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It encodes a meditative map (mandala/lotus) for Linga-upāsanā, assigning yogic powers to directions so the devotee contemplates Shiva as the source of all śaktis rather than seeking siddhis as ends in themselves.

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

By calling the power-bearing principle an akṣara (imperishable syllable), the verse points to Shiva as Pati—the unchanging reality that manifests diverse capacities (aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā) while remaining untouched by change.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Directional dhyāna on a lotus/mandala associated with the Linga—an inner Pāśupata-style visualization where the sādhaka places specific siddhi-śaktis on petals as part of disciplined concentration and mantra-based contemplation.