Linga Purana
Encyclopedia
The Linga Purana is one of the major eighteen Puranas
, a Hindu
religious text. The extant text is divided into two parts, comprising 108 and 55 chapters respectively. These parts contain the description regarding the origin of universe
, origin of the linga, and emergence of Brahma
and Vishnu
, and all the Vedas from the Linga. In this Purana, Shiva
directly tells sometimes the importance of worship of Linga and the correct rituals to be followed during the puja of the linga.
"The distinctive sign through which it is possible to recognize the nature of
someone is called a linga." (Shiva Purana)
"Shiva is signless , without color, taste or smell, beyond word
and touch, without quality, changeless, motionless." (Linga Purana)
This unmanifest being can be perceived only through his creation, which is
his sign or linga. The existence of the unqualified substratum is known and
worshiped only through this sign. The linga, the giver of life
is one of the shapes which represents the nature of the shapeless.
"Shiva as the undivided causal principle is worshiped in the linga. His more
manifest aspects are represented in anthropomorphic images. All other
deities are part of a multiplicity and are thus worshiped as images."
(Karapatri, "Shri Shiva Tattva", Siddhanta).
"The symbol of the Supreme Man (purusha), the formless, the changeless,
the all-seeing eye, the linga. The
symbol of the power that is Nature, generatrix of all that exists is the
yoni." (Karapatri, "Lingopasana-rahasya", Siddhanta)
"Because she is the source of development, Nature (prakriti) is compared
to a womb. The womb is Nature, basis of all. He is
the giver of enjoyment. There is no other giver." (Shiva Purana)
The linga is the universal fecundator and as such is fundamentally one.
But for each form of existence there is a different womb to be fecundated.
Thus the different species are spoken of as yonis. The Puranas speak of
8,400,000 different kinds of beings or yonis.
There can be no creation without the relationship of the opposites. There
could be no creation from Shiva alone, or from Nature alone. The union of
a perceiver and a perceived, an enjoyer and the enjoyed, of a passive and
active principle, is essential for creation to take place.
Transcendent manhood is the immanent cause of creation; transcendent
womanhood is the efficient cause. There cannot be procreation without such union
and there cannot be divine manifestation without their cosmic equivalent.
It is only through understanding the symbolism of the linga and yoni that
we can begin to apprehend the mysteries of creation.
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
, a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
religious text. The extant text is divided into two parts, comprising 108 and 55 chapters respectively. These parts contain the description regarding the origin of universe
Religious cosmology
A Religious cosmology is a way of explaining the origin, the history and the evolution of the universe based on the religious mythology of a specific tradition...
, origin of the linga, and emergence of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
and Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, and all the Vedas from the Linga. In this Purana, Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
directly tells sometimes the importance of worship of Linga and the correct rituals to be followed during the puja of the linga.
Outline
- First part of this Purana describes the origin of the Linga, and details the process of its worship. It has also sections on the creation of the cosmos; immolation of Kama; marriage of Shiva; description of Surya and Soma; and description of Varaha and Narshimha avatars of Vishnu.
- Next part describes the prominence of Lord Vishnu, and the emergence of Brahma as the creator of the cosmos. It has several other accounts, including various aspects of Shiva
- Part three of the Linga Purana contains the description of the seven islands, Mount Meru and other prominent mountains. It also has an account of Brahma assigning divinities to various deities, including the radiance of the Surya.
- The next part has several accounts, including the account of Dhruva as the supreme devotee; origin of different deities; details of dynasties of Aaditya and Yadu; Andhak’s ascendancy to the position the lord of Ganas; annihilation of the demon Jalandhar; and the origin of Ganesh.
- The contents of the last part include the story of Upamanyu; significance of certain mantras; importance of gurus; different types of yoga; and procedure for installation of linga.
"The distinctive sign through which it is possible to recognize the nature of
someone is called a linga." (Shiva Purana)
"Shiva is signless , without color, taste or smell, beyond word
and touch, without quality, changeless, motionless." (Linga Purana)
This unmanifest being can be perceived only through his creation, which is
his sign or linga. The existence of the unqualified substratum is known and
worshiped only through this sign. The linga, the giver of life
is one of the shapes which represents the nature of the shapeless.
"Shiva as the undivided causal principle is worshiped in the linga. His more
manifest aspects are represented in anthropomorphic images. All other
deities are part of a multiplicity and are thus worshiped as images."
(Karapatri, "Shri Shiva Tattva", Siddhanta).
"The symbol of the Supreme Man (purusha), the formless, the changeless,
the all-seeing eye, the linga. The
symbol of the power that is Nature, generatrix of all that exists is the
yoni." (Karapatri, "Lingopasana-rahasya", Siddhanta)
"Because she is the source of development, Nature (prakriti) is compared
to a womb. The womb is Nature, basis of all. He is
the giver of enjoyment. There is no other giver." (Shiva Purana)
The linga is the universal fecundator and as such is fundamentally one.
But for each form of existence there is a different womb to be fecundated.
Thus the different species are spoken of as yonis. The Puranas speak of
8,400,000 different kinds of beings or yonis.
There can be no creation without the relationship of the opposites. There
could be no creation from Shiva alone, or from Nature alone. The union of
a perceiver and a perceived, an enjoyer and the enjoyed, of a passive and
active principle, is essential for creation to take place.
Transcendent manhood is the immanent cause of creation; transcendent
womanhood is the efficient cause. There cannot be procreation without such union
and there cannot be divine manifestation without their cosmic equivalent.
It is only through understanding the symbolism of the linga and yoni that
we can begin to apprehend the mysteries of creation.
Further reading
- Mani, Vettam. Puranic Encyclopedia. 1st English ed. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.