Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 78

Adhyaya 71: पुरत्रयवृत्तान्तः—ब्रह्मवरदानम्, मयकृतत्रिपुर-निर्माणम्, विष्णुमाया-धर्मविघ्नः, शिवस्तुति, त्रिपुरदाहोपक्रमः

Devanagari script

गन्तुमर्हसि नाशाय भो तूर्णं पुरवासिनाम् धर्मास् तथा प्रणश्यन्तु श्रौतस्मार्ता न संशयः

Transliteration

gantumarhasi nāśāya bho tūrṇaṃ puravāsinām dharmās tathā praṇaśyantu śrautasmārtā na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

“噢（主宰），你当迅速前往，为毁灭城中之民。随后他们的诸般法（dharma）——无论吠陀所立的śrauta，还是传统所传的smārta——都必定败亡；对此毫无疑虑。”

Word by Word

• gantum: to go

• arhasi: you are fit/you ought

• nāśāya: for destruction

• bho: O!/O sir

• tūrṇam: quickly

• pura-vāsinām: of the residents of the city

• dharmāḥ: religious duties/ordinances

• tathā: likewise/then

• praṇaśyantu: may they perish/be destroyed

• śrauta-smārtāḥ: those based on Śruti (Veda) and Smṛti (tradition)

• na saṃśayaḥ: no doubt/without uncertainty

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating an internal exhortation within the episode)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as the sovereign Pati who can withdraw even śrauta and smārta religious structures when they become disconnected from true devotion; Linga-worship is implied as the higher Shaiva grounding beyond mere formal ritualism.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as the decisive cosmic authority: He can dissolve social-religious order (dharma) to end bondage-producing systems, reasserting Pati’s governance over pashus bound by pasha.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is prescribed; the takeaway is that external śrauta-smārta observances, without Shaiva alignment, are vulnerable—implying the primacy of Shiva-bhakti and Pashupata-oriented inner discipline over mere formalism.