Shloka 37

दक्षयज्ञध्वंसः—वीरभद्रप्रेषणं, देवविष्ण्वोः पराजयः, पुनरनुग्रहः

Devanagari script

जघान मूर्ध्नि पादेन दक्षं चैव यशस्विनम् चिछेद च शिरस्तस्य ददाहाग्नौ द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

jaghāna mūrdhni pādena dakṣaṃ caiva yaśasvinam cicheda ca śirastasya dadāhāgnau dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Dann trat er den ruhmreichen Dakṣa auf den Scheitel; er hieb ihm das Haupt ab und warf es in das Opferfeuer — o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen — und so wurde das yajña durch den unwiderstehlichen Spruch des Herrn (Pati) zunichtegemacht.

Word by Word

• जघान (jaghāna): struck down

• मूर्ध्नि (mūrdhni): on the head/crown

• पादेन (pādena): with the foot

• दक्षम् (dakṣam): Daksha

• च एव (caiva): and indeed

• यशस्विनम् (yaśasvinam): illustrious, renowned

• चिछेद (cicheda): cut off, severed

• च (ca): and

• शिरः (śiraḥ): head

• तस्य (tasya): his

• ददाह (dadāha): burned/consigned to fire

• अग्नौ (agnau): in the fire (Agni)

• द्विजोत्तमाः (dvijottamāḥ): O best of the twice-born (address to Brahmins/sages).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya; describing the Daksha-yajna episode)

Characters & Entities

• Daksha
• Agni
• Dvijas (Brahmins)

FAQs

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

It shows that yajña without reverence to Śiva (Pati) collapses; Linga-worship emphasizes inner surrender and right recognition of the Lord over mere external ritual performance.

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

Śiva-tattva is portrayed as the sovereign ordinance that overrules pride-bound ritualism; the Lord breaks the pasha of arrogance and restores dharma by revealing the futility of ego-centered sacrifice.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The implied practice is purification of yajña through Śiva-bhakti and Pāśupata orientation—disciplining the pashu (individual soul) to relinquish ahaṅkāra, the key pasha (bondage), before undertaking worship.