Shloka 6

Mahādeva’s Boon: Unwavering Bhakti, Tri-functional Cosmos, and the Supratiṣṭhā of Liṅga-Arcā

Devanagari script

यदि प्रीतिः समुत्पन्ना यदि देयो वरश् च नौ भक्तिर्भवतु नौ नित्यं त्वयि चाव्यभिचारिणी

Transliteration

yadi prītiḥ samutpannā yadi deyo varaś ca nau bhaktirbhavatu nau nityaṃ tvayi cāvyabhicāriṇī

Translation

إن كانت المودّة قد نشأت حقًّا (فيك نحونا)، وإن كان سيُمنَح لنا عطاءٌ، فليكن هذا هو عطاؤنا: أن تنشأ فينا عبادةٌ مُخلِصة لا تنحرف—أبدية لا تتبدّل—نحوك أنت وحدك.

Word by Word

• यदि (yadi): if

• प्रीतिः (prītiḥ): affection, gracious favor

• समुत्पन्ना (samutpannā): arisen, manifested

• यदि (yadi): if

• देयः (deyaḥ): to be given, grantable

• वरः (varaḥ): boon

• च (ca): and

• नौ (nau): to us (dual/plural sense: for us)

• भक्तिः (bhaktiḥ): devotion

• भवतु (bhavatu): let it be, may it become

• नौ (nau): for us

• नित्यं (nityaṃ): always, eternal

• त्वयि (tvayi): in/unto you

• च (ca): and

• अव्यभिचारिणी (avyabhicāriṇī): unfailing, non-deviating, steadfast

Speaker

Petitioners (devotees/devas) addressing Lord Shiva (Pati) within Suta’s narration

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the highest “vara” not as worldly gain but as steady, non-deviating bhakti to Shiva—the inner core that makes Linga-puja spiritually effective and liberation-oriented.

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

Shiva is implied as Pati—the supreme Lord whose grace (prīti/anugraha) is the decisive cause for the pashu’s liberation, with devotion as the direct relation binding the soul to the Lord beyond pasha.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights bhakti-yoga grounded in Shiva-anugraha: cultivating avyabhicāriṇī (unwavering) devotion as the essential inner discipline that supports puja, japa, and Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā.