Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

देवदारुवनौकसां प्रति ब्रह्मोपदेशः—लिङ्गलक्षण-प्रतिष्ठा-विधिः, शिवमायारूपदर्शनं, स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

शैवालशोभनाः केचित् केचिदन्तर्जलेशयाः केचिद्दर्भावकाशास्तु पादाङ्गुष्ठाग्रधिष्ठिताः

Transliteration

śaivālaśobhanāḥ kecit kecidantarjaleśayāḥ keciddarbhāvakāśāstu pādāṅguṣṭhāgradhiṣṭhitāḥ

Translation

有的以河中青苔为饰；有的潜伏于水内；有的安住于拘舍草（kuśa）的空隙；有的竟立于大脚趾尖端——此皆为具身众生（paśu）在主宰（Pati）显现之造化中，受缚索（pāśa）牵系而行的微妙住处。

Word by Word

• केचित्: some

• शैवाल-शोभनाः: beautified/adorned by moss (algae)

• केचित्: some

• अन्तः-जले-शयाः: lying/resting within the water

• केचित्: some

• दर्भ-अवकाशाः: having a place/space in darbha (kuśa) grass

• तु: indeed/and

• पाद-अङ्गुष्ठ-अग्र-अधिष्ठिताः: established/located at the tip of the great toe (of the foot)

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It supports the Shaiva view that Shiva (Pati) pervades all loci of creation—waters, grasses used in ritual, and subtle bodily points—so tirtha, darbha, and embodied practice can all become supports for Linga-oriented devotion and purification.

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

By implying many hidden “stations” within nature and the body, it points to Shiva-tattva as immanent and all-pervading, while beings (paśu) experience varied conditions due to pāśa until they turn toward Pati through knowledge and worship.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ritually, it foregrounds darbha (kuśa) and water—key purificatory media in Vedic-Shiva rites; yogically, the mention of a toe-tip station evokes subtle-body localization used in contemplative disciplines aligned with Pashupata-style interiorization.