Shloka 88

अध्याय ९६: शरभ-प्रादुर्भावः, नृसिंह-दर्पशमनम्, विष्णोः शिवस्तुतिः, फलश्रुति

Devanagari script

कपालिने करालाय पतये पुण्यकीर्त्तये अमोघायाग्निनेत्राय लकुलीशाय शंभवे

Transliteration

kapāline karālāya pataye puṇyakīrttaye amoghāyāgninetrāya lakulīśāya śaṃbhave

Translation

顶礼于持颅者（Kapālin）、威怖者；顶礼于主（Pati），其圣名功德清净。顶礼于不虚者，具火焰之眼；顶礼于Lakulīśa与Śambhu——吉祥者，解脱被缚众生之灵。

Word by Word

• kapāline: to the skull-bearing ascetic (Kāpālin)

• karālāya: to the fearsome/terrible-formed One

• pataye: to the Lord, Master (Pati) of all pashus (souls)

• puṇya-kīrttaye: to Him whose renown is meritorious and purifying

• amoghāya: to the unfailing, unerring One

• agni-netrāya: to Him whose eye is fire (the burning, transformative gaze)

• lakulīśāya: to Lakulīśa, the Pāśupata teacher and Shiva-incarnation

• śaṃbhave: to Śambhu, the auspicious benefactor

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a Shiva-nama stuti within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Lakulisha

FAQs

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

It functions as a nama-stuti (name-hymn) used in Linga-puja to invoke Shiva as Pati—the Lord who purifies merit (puṇya-kīrti) and destroys inner impurity through His agni-netra, making the worship spiritually effective for the bound soul (paśu).

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

Shiva is praised as both terrifying (karāla) and auspicious (śambhu): dreadful to pasha (bondage and ignorance) yet benevolent to the paśu (soul). As Pati and amogha, His will and grace are unfailing in liberating and transforming.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

By naming Lakulīśa, the verse points to the Pāśupata stream—devotional recitation, disciplined conduct, and yogic austerity oriented to Shiva as Pati—integrated into Linga-puja through mantra-like remembrance of Shiva’s epithets.