Shloka 35

दक्षयज्ञध्वंसः—वीरभद्रप्रेषणं, देवविष्ण्वोः पराजयः, पुनरनुग्रहः

Devanagari script

वीरभद्रः समाधाय विशिरस्कमथाकरोत् ततः प्रजापतिं धर्मं कश्यपं च जगद्गुरुम्

Transliteration

vīrabhadraḥ samādhāya viśiraskamathākarot tataḥ prajāpatiṃ dharmaṃ kaśyapaṃ ca jagadgurum

Translation

ثم إنَّ فيرابهادرا، بعد أن تهيّأ، ضربهم فجعلهم بلا رؤوس؛ ثم أخضع براجابتي دارما وكاشيابا، مُعلِّم العالم. وهكذا حطّمت قوّة غَنات الربّ كبرياءَ الياجنا الذي يقيّد الـpaśu في الـpāśa، وأُثبتت سيادةُ الـPati فوق كل سلطانٍ طقوسيّ.

Word by Word

• वीरभद्रः: Vīrabhadra

• समाधाय: having composed/collected himself, having readied (for action)

• विशिरस्कम्: headless, deprived of the head

• अथ: then

• अकरोत्: made, rendered

• ततः: thereafter

• प्रजापतिम्: Prajāpati (lord of creatures)

• धर्मम्: Dharma (personified)

• कश्यपम्: Kaśyapa (sage/progenitor)

• च: and

• जगद्गुरुम्: teacher/preceptor of the world

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Daksha-yajna episode to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Virabhadra
• Prajapati
• Dharma
• Kashyapa

FAQs

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

It shows that Shiva (Pati) is not constrained by external ritual (yajña); when worship becomes ego-driven, it turns into pāśa (bondage) for the paśu. True Linga-oriented devotion prioritizes surrender and inner purity over pride in rite and status.

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

Through Vīrabhadra—Shiva’s manifested gaṇa-force—Shiva-tattva is portrayed as the sovereign power that corrects cosmic disorder, humbles even Prajāpatis, and re-establishes dharmic alignment by removing the “head” of अहंकार (ego) that fuels bondage.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The implied Pāśupata teaching is ego-cutting discipline: transforming ritual into inner worship by abandoning self-importance (ahaṅkāra) and aligning action with devotion to Pati (Shiva), rather than mere sacrificial display.