Shloka 10

Adhyaya 45: Rudra as Sarvatma—Seven Lokas, Seven Talas, and the Cosmic Body of Shiva

Devanagari script

महातलं हेमतलं सर्वरत्नोपशोभितम् प्रासादैश् च विचित्रैश् च भवस्यायतनैस् तथा

Transliteration

mahātalaṃ hematalaṃ sarvaratnopaśobhitam prāsādaiś ca vicitraiś ca bhavasyāyatanais tathā

Translation

كانت هناك فسحةٌ عظيمة—أرضُها من ذهبٍ ومزدانةٌ بكل صنوف الجواهر—ممتلئةٌ بقصورٍ بديعة، وكذلك بمقاماتٍ مقدّسة هي مساكن بهافا (شيفا) الطاهرة.

Word by Word

• mahātalam: a great ground/expanse

• hematalaṃ: golden-surfaced (golden floor)

• sarva-ratna-upaśobhitam: beautified by all gems

• prāsādaiḥ: by palaces/temples

• ca: and

• vicitraiḥ: marvelous, variegated

• ca: and

• bhavasya: of Bhava (Śiva)

• āyatanaiḥ: abodes, shrines, sanctuaries

• tathā: likewise, in that manner

Speaker

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

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Bhava’s āyatana (sanctuary) as a jewel-like, consecrated space—supporting the Shaiva view that Linga-puja is not merely symbolic but anchored in a purified, divinely ordered sacred environment.

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

By naming Śiva as “Bhava” and presenting many shrines as his abodes, the verse implies Pati-tattva: the Lord pervades and authorizes sacred space, making it luminous and worthy of approach for pashus seeking release from pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Temple-centered Śiva-upāsanā is implied: establishing or approaching Bhava’s āyatana for Linga-puja—an outer support that complements inner Pāśupata discipline aimed at loosening bondage (pāśa).