Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

छन्दो ऽनुष्टुप् ऋषिश्चात्री रुद्रो दैवतमुच्यते शिकारो धूम्रवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं वै पश्चिमं मुखम्

Transliteration

chando 'nuṣṭup ṛṣiścātrī rudro daivatamucyate śikāro dhūmravarṇo 'sya sthānaṃ vai paścimaṃ mukham

Translation

其韵律为阿努什图布（Anuṣṭubh）；圣仙（ṛṣi）为阿特里（Ātrī）；主宰神祇被称为鲁陀罗（Rudra）。其种子音（bīja）为“śi”，色如烟黛；其安住之处确为西方之面。

Word by Word

• chandaḥ: metre

• anuṣṭup: the Anuṣṭubh poetic metre

• ṛṣiḥ: seer of the mantra

• cātrī (ātrī): Ātrī (the sage)

• rudraḥ: Rudra (Śiva as the fierce Lord)

• daivatam: presiding deity

• ucyate: is said/declared

• śikāraḥ: the syllable “śi” (bīja/phoneme)

• dhūmra-varṇaḥ: smoky-coloured/grey-hued

• asya: of this (mantra/portion)

• sthānam: seat/place of installation (nyāsa)

• vai: indeed

• paścimam: western

• mukham: face/aspect (directional face of Śiva)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating mantra-viniyoga/nyasa details within the Purva-Bhaga discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Shiva
• Ātrī

FAQs

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

It gives the viniyoga markers—metre, seer, deity, bīja-syllable, and directional placement—used to correctly apply mantra-nyāsa in Linga/Rudra worship, aligning the sādhaka (pashu) with Pati through disciplined ritual order.

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

By naming Rudra as the devatā and assigning a directional “face,” it presents Śiva as the presiding consciousness of the mantra who manifests in ordered aspects (mukhas) while remaining the one Pati beyond all directions.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-viniyoga and nyāsa: fixing the mantra’s components (chandas–ṛṣi–devatā) and installing its power in a specific direction/face—supporting Pāśupata-oriented sādhana that loosens pāśa (bondage) through correct upāsanā.