Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 72

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

प्रकृति अन्द् पुरुष साधर्म्येणावतिष्ठेते प्रधानपुरुषावुभौ तमःसत्त्वरजोपेतौ समत्वेन व्यवस्थितौ

Transliteration

prakṛti and puruṣa sādharmyeṇāvatiṣṭhete pradhānapuruṣāvubhau tamaḥsattvarajopetau samatvena vyavasthitau

Translation

普拉克里蒂与普鲁沙以相似之态相依而住；二者——原质（Pradhāna，太初自然）与普鲁沙——皆与昏性、净性、动性（三德：tamas、sattva、rajas）相应，安处于均衡之中。依湿婆派之解，此示缚界（pāśa）内诸德未显之平衡，未被扰动之前，尚未在主宰（Pati）之统摄下发动创造。

Word by Word

• प्रकृतिः (prakṛtiḥ): primordial Nature, material matrix

• च (ca): and

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ): the conscious principle/person

• साधर्म्येण (sādharmyeṇa): by similarity/commonality of attributes

• अवतिष्ठेते (avatiṣṭhete): they stand/abide

• प्रधानपुरुषौ (pradhāna-puruṣau): Pradhāna and Puruṣa

• उभौ (ubhau): both

• तमः (tamaḥ): inertia/darkness

• सत्त्व (sattva): clarity/luminosity

• रजः (rajaḥ): activity/passion

• उपेतौ (upetau): endowed with/associated with

• समत्वेन (samatvena): in equilibrium/evenness

• व्यवस्थितौ (vyavasthitau): established/steadily situated

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Prakriti
• Purusha
• Pradhana
• Gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)

FAQs

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

It frames creation as arising from a pre-manifest equilibrium of the guṇas within Prakṛti–Puruṣa; Linga worship points beyond this guṇa-bound field (pāśa) to Shiva as Pati, the transcendent source who enables manifestation and liberation.

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

By describing Prakṛti–Puruṣa as guṇa-associated and equilibrated, it implicitly contrasts them with Shiva-tattva, who is not a product of guṇas and stands as the Lord (Pati) governing the unfolding of tattvas while remaining untouched.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A key Pāśupata/Yogic takeaway is guṇa-viveka (discernment of sattva–rajas–tamas) and moving from guṇa-identification (pāśa) toward Shiva-centered awareness through japa, dhyāna, and Linga-upāsanā.