Shloka 58

देवादिसृष्टिकथनम् (वसिष्ठशोकः, पराशरजन्म, एकलिङ्गपूजा, रुद्रदर्शनम्)

Devanagari script

शक्ते स्वं च सुतं पश्य भ्रातृभिः सह षण्मुखम् यथा महेश्वरो ऽपश्यत् सगणो हृषिताननः

Transliteration

śakte svaṃ ca sutaṃ paśya bhrātṛbhiḥ saha ṣaṇmukham yathā maheśvaro 'paśyat sagaṇo hṛṣitānanaḥ

Translation

«يا شاكتي، انظري إلى ابنكِ—شَنموخا (Ṣaṇmukha)—مع إخوته. وهكذا رآه ماهيشڤارا، تحيط به غاناته، ووجهه مشرقٌ بالسرور.»

Word by Word

• śakte: O Śakti (Divine Power)

• svam: one’s own

• ca: and

• sutam: son

• paśya: behold/see

• bhrātṛbhiḥ: with brothers

• saha: together with

• ṣaṇmukham: the Six-Faced One (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

• yathā: just as

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara (Śiva)

• apaśyat: saw/beheld

• sa-gaṇaḥ: along with (his) gaṇas/attendants

• hṛṣita-ānanaḥ: with a delighted/joyful face

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode within the Purva-Bhaga narrative)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti (Parvati)
• Skanda (Shanmukha)
• Ganas

FAQs

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

It emphasizes darśana (sacred beholding) as grace: just as Śiva joyfully beholds the divine son amid his gaṇas, the devotee (paśu) is encouraged to behold the Lord and his manifestations with reverence—an inner orientation central to Linga-centered bhakti and pūjā.

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

Śiva appears as Pati—sovereign and compassionate—whose bliss (ānanda) naturally shines forth. His joyful face and presence with the gaṇas indicate lordship over cosmic hosts and a non-dual fullness where divine manifestations arise without diminishing his transcendence.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The key practice is darśana-bhāva: contemplative seeing and remembrance. In a Pāśupata-leaning reading, it supports meditative fixation on the Lord (Pati) and his śakti, cultivating purity of perception that loosens pāśa (bondage) for the paśu (individual soul).