The ''Lingashtaka'' () is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

hymn attributed to the 8th-century philosopher

Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...

. An '' ashtaka'', it comprises 8 stanzas, extolling the

lingam A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or Aniconism, aniconic representation of the Hinduism, Hindu Hindu deities, god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Up ...

, an aniconic form of the deity

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

Legend

According to the ''

Shiva Purana The ''Shiva Purana'' (original Sanskrit title: Śivapurāṇa (शिवपुराण) and Śivamahāpurāṇa (शिवमहापुराण) is one of eighteen major texts of the '' Purana'' genre of Sanskrit texts in Hinduism, and part o ...

'', when

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

and

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

disputed their superiority over the other, Shiva manifested before them as a massive pillar of light. The two deities travelled along the length of the pillar in opposite directions to locate the end. While Vishnu confessed that he had been unable to locate the end, Brahma lied about having achieved his goal, proclaiming his victory. Shiva punished Brahma for his falsehood by creating

Bhairava Bhairava (, ), or Kāla Bhairava, is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva.Kramrisch, Stella (1994). ''The Presence of Śiva''. Princeton, NJ: P ...

, who decapitated one of Brahma's five heads. Shiva announced that Brahma would not be worshipped by humans thence; he rewarded Vishnu for his honesty by announcing that he would be widely worshipped in the same manner as himself. Brahma was forgiven following the intercession of Vishnu. Following this event, Brahma and Vishnu worshipped Shiva, who named the day

Shivaratri Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...

; he also prescribed the veneration of the lingam as his phallic emblem towards the achievement of

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

. The ''Lingashtaka'' also references other legends of Shiva, such as the quelling of the pride of Ravana when the latter attempted to lift

Mount Kailash Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; ; ; , ) is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya, in the western part ...

, and the destruction of Daksha's yajna. The ''

phalashruti A ''phalashruti'' () is a meritorious verse in Hindu literature, appearing at the end of a text or one of its constituent sections. Such a verse offers a description of the benefits that could be accrued by an adherent from the recitation or list ...

'' (meritorious verse) of the hymn states that when the ''Lingashtaka'' is recited near a lingam, the reciter would attain the abode of Shiva and enjoy his bliss.

Hymn

The first stanza of the hymn extols the attributes of the lingam: {{Blockquote, text=''(I salute) the lingam that is worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu, and the devas
the lingam that is without impurity, smeared with ash, and splendid
the lingam that destroys the sorrows arising from birth
I salute that eternal Shiva's lingam''

References

Hindu mantras Hindu devotional texts Shaiva texts Sanskrit texts 8th-century texts Adi Shankara

Legend

Hymn

See also

References