Shloka 17

मेरुवर्णनम्—प्रमाण, दिग्विभाग, देवपुरी-विमान-निवासाः

Devanagari script

नैरृते कृष्णवर्णा च तथा शुद्धवती शुभा तादृशी गन्धवन्ती च वायव्यां दिशि शोभना

Transliteration

nairṛte kṛṣṇavarṇā ca tathā śuddhavatī śubhā tādṛśī gandhavantī ca vāyavyāṃ diśi śobhanā

Translation

في جهةِ النَّيرِتي (الجنوب الغربي) تكونُ داكنةَ اللون، ومع ذلك طاهرةً وميمونة؛ وفي جهةِ الفايَڤْيَة (الشمال الغربي) تكونُ كذلك عَطِرةً مُشرِقةً، جميلةً في تلكَ الناحية.

Word by Word

• नैरृते: in the south-west direction

• कृष्णवर्णा: dark-complexioned

• च: and

• तथा: likewise

• शुद्धवती: possessing purity

• शुभा: auspicious

• तादृशी: of that same nature/so too

• गन्धवन्ती: fragrant

• च: and

• वायव्याम् दिशि: in the north-west direction

• शोभना: splendid/beautiful

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana to the sages at Naimisharanya; contextual attribution)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It encodes auspicious directional markers—color, purity, and fragrance—used to align Linga-puja with cosmic order (dik-tattva), supporting śuddhi (purification) and śubha (auspiciousness) in worship.

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

Through Shakti’s directional manifestations—dark yet pure, fragrant and radiant—it suggests Shiva-tattva as Pati whose power (Shakti) pervades all quarters, transforming even ‘darkness’ into auspicious purity.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Puja-vidhi implications: selecting/observing direction (dik), maintaining purity (śuddhi), and using fragrance (gandha) as upacāra—outer discipline that mirrors inner purification in Pāśupata practice.