Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 115

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

प्रयत्नाद्वा तयोस्तुल्यं चिराद्वा ह्यचिराद्द्विजाः योगान्तरायास् तस्याथ जायन्ते युञ्जतः पुनः

Transliteration

prayatnādvā tayostulyaṃ cirādvā hyacirāddvijāḥ yogāntarāyās tasyātha jāyante yuñjataḥ punaḥ

Translation

噢二次生者（dvija）诸贤，无论凭持久精进，或凭相等的修持能力；无论久后或迅速——当人再次执持瑜伽之行时，瑜伽的障碍便会对该修行者生起。

Word by Word

• प्रयत्नात्: by effort, through exertion

• वा: or

• तयोः: of the two (modes/conditions)

• तुल्यम्: equal, comparable

• चिरात्: after a long time

• वा: or

• हि: indeed

• अचिरात्: quickly, in a short time

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brahmins)

• योग-अन्तरायाः: obstacles/impediments to yoga

• तस्य: for him, of that practitioner

• अथ: then, thereafter

• जायन्ते: arise, are born

• युञ्जतः: of one practising/engaged in yoga

• पुनः: again, once more.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva-sadhana as a disciplined yogic path: even when a devotee resumes practice, impediments (pāśa-like obstructions) can surface, so steadiness and reliance on Pati (Shiva) are essential for progress in Linga-centered worship.

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

By implication, Shiva as Pati is the stabilizing Lord beyond fluctuation, while the pashu (individual practitioner) encounters changing inner conditions; obstacles arise in the field of practice, not in Shiva-tattva itself.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights sustained engagement in yoga (yuñjataḥ) and the reality of yogāntarāyas—practical guidance central to Pāśupata-oriented sadhana where perseverance, purification, and re-commitment after breaks are emphasized.