Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 71

अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्रिःप्रवणं योगी उपासीत महेश्वरम् दशविस्तारकं ब्रह्म तथा च ब्रह्मविस्तरैः

Transliteration

tasmāttriḥpravaṇaṃ yogī upāsīta maheśvaram daśavistārakaṃ brahma tathā ca brahmavistaraiḥ

Translation

因此，瑜伽行者当以三遍诵出普罗那瓦（Om）而礼奉大自在天（Maheśvara）。当观梵（Brahman）之十重展开，亦观梵之种种展开——了知唯有一位主宰（Pati）为一切展开背后的内在真实。

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore

• त्रिः: threefold

• प्रवणम्/प्रणवम् (प्रवणं as पाठभेद): the Praṇava ‘Oṁ’ (the sacred syllable)

• योगी: the yogin

• उपासीत: should worship/meditate upon

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva, the Supreme Lord)

• दश-विस्तारकम्: having a tenfold expansion/that which expands in ten ways

• ब्रह्म: Brahman, the Absolute

• तथा च: and also/likewise

• ब्रह्म-विस्तरैः: by the expansions/unfoldings of Brahman (manifest principles/forms).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching tradition of the Linga Purana to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maheshvara
• Brahman
• Pranava (Om)

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga-upāsanā in inner mantra-yoga: worship of Maheśvara is to be performed through the threefold Praṇava, aligning speech, mind, and breath with Śiva as the indwelling Pati.

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

Śiva is indicated as Maheśvara who transcends yet pervades all “brahma-vistāras” (manifest expansions). The many unfoldings belong to Brahman’s expression, while Śiva remains the sovereign reality behind them.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Triḥ-pranava upāsanā—repetition/meditation on Oṁ threefold—combined with contemplative mapping of Brahman’s tenfold expansion, a Pāśupata-aligned method of unifying jīva (paśu) with Pati by loosening pāśa (bondage).