Shloka 18

देवादिसृष्टिकथनम् (वसिष्ठशोकः, पराशरजन्म, एकलिङ्गपूजा, रुद्रदर्शनम्)

Devanagari script

ततो निशम्य भगवान् वसिष्ठ ऋचमादरात् केनोक्तमिति संचिन्त्य तदातिष्ठत्समाहितः

Transliteration

tato niśamya bhagavān vasiṣṭha ṛcamādarāt kenoktamiti saṃcintya tadātiṣṭhatsamāhitaḥ

Translation

ثم إن الحكيم الجليل فاسيشثا، بعدما سمع باحترام تلك الآية المقدّسة من نوع ṛk، تفكّر: «مَن الذي نطق بها؟» وبقلبٍ مجموعٍ بقي ثابتًا في تأمّلٍ يقظ.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• niśamya: having heard

• bhagavān: the revered one (venerable sage)

• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Vasiṣṭha

• ṛcam: a Ṛc/vedic hymn-verse

• ādarāt: with reverence, respectfully

• kena: by whom

• uktam: spoken, uttered

• iti: thus

• saṃcintya: having considered, reflected

• tat: that (utterance/meaning)

• ātiṣṭhat: stood firm, remained, stayed

• samāhitaḥ: composed, concentrated, collected (in meditation).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (outer narration; describing Vasiṣṭha’s response)

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

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

It highlights śravaṇa (reverent listening) and mantrārtha-vicāra (inquiry into a mantra’s source and meaning) as prerequisites for approaching the Linga—moving the pashu (bound soul) toward Pati (Śiva) through focused contemplation.

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

Śiva-tattva is suggested as the ultimate source behind sacred utterance: Vasiṣṭha’s question “who spoke it?” points beyond human agency to the transcendent Pati, known through inner composure (samāhita) rather than mere external hearing.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-śravaṇa followed by dhyāna and samādhāna (mental collectedness). This is aligned with Pāśupata-oriented discipline: steadying the mind to loosen pāśa (bondage) and discern the mantra’s divine origin.