Shloka 39

अलिङ्ग-लिङ्ग-निरूपणं तथा प्राकृत-सृष्टिवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

प्राकृतः कथितस्त्वेष पुरुषाधिष्ठितो मया सर्गश् चाबुद्धिपूर्वस्तु द्विजाः प्राथमिकः शुभः

Transliteration

prākṛtaḥ kathitastveṣa puruṣādhiṣṭhito mayā sargaś cābuddhipūrvastu dvijāḥ prāthamikaḥ śubhaḥ

Translation

此“普拉克利提”（Prākṛta，物质性）之创造，我已宣说为由普鲁沙（Puruṣa，内住之主）所主宰。诸位二次生者啊，那最初的创造——在分别智尚未显现之前而起——乃是原初而吉祥的开端。

Word by Word

• प्राकृतः: material, of Prakṛti

• कथितः: has been described

• तु: indeed

• एषः: this

• पुरुष-अधिष्ठितः: presided over / overseen by the Puruṣa (Lord as inner ruler)

• मया: by me

• सर्गः: creation / emanation

• च: and

• अबुद्धि-पूर्वः: prior to (the arising of) buddhi / discriminative intellect

• तु: indeed

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brahmins)

• प्राथमिकः: the first / primordial

• शुभः: auspicious

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana to the sages, relaying the creation teaching)

Characters & Entities

• Purusha

FAQs

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

It frames creation as not merely material (prākṛta) but governed by a presiding Lord (Puruṣa). In Linga worship, this supports the view that the Linga signifies Pati—Shiva as the inner ruler—beyond Prakṛti, making worship a movement from materiality (pāśa) toward the Lord.

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

By emphasizing ‘puruṣādhiṣṭhita’ (presided over by the Puruṣa), it implies a transcendent-immanent Lord who oversees the unfolding of Prakṛti. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, Shiva as Pati remains the sovereign consciousness guiding srishti while souls (paśu) are still prior to full buddhi (discernment).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to the pre-buddhi condition as the root of bondage—suggesting the yogic need for viveka (discriminative insight). In a Pāśupata-oriented reading, practice aims to awaken right discernment and surrender to Pati, transforming the paśu from prākṛta identification to Shiva-oriented realization.