Shloka 16

Devas Praise Śiva; Gaṇeśa Manifests as Vighneśvara and Receives the Primacy of Worship

Devanagari script

यज्ञश् च दक्षिणाहीनः कृतो येन महीतले तस्य धर्मस्य विघ्नं च कुरु स्वर्गपथे स्थितः

Transliteration

yajñaś ca dakṣiṇāhīnaḥ kṛto yena mahītale tasya dharmasya vighnaṃ ca kuru svargapathe sthitaḥ

Translation

Wer auf Erden ein yajña ohne die vorgeschriebene dakṣiṇā vollzogen hat—während du auf dem Pfad zum svarga stehst, errichte ein Hindernis für das Verdienst (dharma), das aus jener Tat entsteht.

Word by Word

• यज्ञः: sacrifice

• च: and

• दक्षिणा-हीनः: lacking the sacrificial fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)

• कृतः: performed

• येन: by whom

• महीतले: on the earth

• तस्य: of that person

• धर्मस्य: of merit/righteous duty (dharma)

• विघ्नम्: obstacle/impediment

• च: and

• कुरु: do/make

• स्वर्ग-पथे: on the path to heaven

• स्थितः: being situated/standing

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating an internal injunction/command within the story)

Characters & Entities

• Yajna
• Svarga

FAQs

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

It stresses that ritual action without the required offering (dakṣiṇā/dāna) becomes spiritually defective; for Shaiva practice, proper worship includes right offering and humility so the act supports purification (pāśa-kṣaya) rather than producing obstacles.

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

Implicitly, it reflects the Shaiva principle that mere external ritual does not command liberation; only when dharma is aligned with right intent and right giving does it aid the Pashu in moving toward Pati—Shiva as the ultimate bestower of true fruition beyond svarga.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights yajña-vidhi, specifically the necessity of dakṣiṇā (charitable giving) as an integral limb of sacrifice; without it, the merit is blocked (vighna), indicating that discipline and correct observance are essential for spiritual progress.