Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

शरभप्रादुर्भावो नाम षण्णवतितमोऽध्यायः (जलन्धरविमर्दनम्)

Devanagari script

गिरीन्द्रो मन्दरः श्रीमान् नीलो मेरुः सुशोभनः घर्षितो बाहुदण्डेन कण्डूनोदार्थम् आपतत्

Transliteration

girīndro mandaraḥ śrīmān nīlo meruḥ suśobhanaḥ gharṣito bāhudaṇḍena kaṇḍūnodārtham āpatat

Translation

那山中之王——辉耀的曼陀罗、色泽幽暗而庄严的须弥——被前臂如杖般摩擦；为求止痒解痒，它从原处疾冲而下。

Word by Word

• गिरीन्द्रः: lord of mountains

• मन्दरः: Mandara mountain

• श्रीमान्: glorious, resplendent

• नीलः: dark-hued/blue

• मेरुः: Meru

• सुशोभनः: very beautiful, splendid

• घर्षितः: rubbed, abraded

• बाहुदण्डेन: with the arm used like a rod/staff

• कण्डूनोदार्थम्: for the purpose of removing an itch/for itch-relief

• आपतत्: fell down, rushed down, descended

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Mandara
• Meru

FAQs

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

It frames cosmic events as movements within the Lord’s domain: even the ‘king of mountains’ is stirred and displaced, implying that all supports (adhāras) are ultimately grounded in Pati (Shiva), the supreme support symbolized by the Linga.

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

By depicting mighty Meru/Mandara as acted upon and made to ‘move,’ the verse indirectly points to Shiva-tattva as the unmoved mover—Pati—before whom even cosmic स्थैर्य (stability) is contingent and secondary.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No direct puja-vidhi is stated; the implied yogic takeaway is vairāgya toward worldly ‘supports’: like Mandara, the pashu’s mind is displaced by contact/friction, so Pashupata practice seeks anchoring in Pati through steadiness (dhāraṇā) and devotion.