Shloka 16

विनायकोत्पत्तिः / ताण्डव-प्रसङ्गः (दारुक-वधः, काली-उत्पत्तिः, क्षेत्रपालोत्पत्तिः)

Devanagari script

जातां तदानीं सुरसिद्धसंघा दृष्ट्वा भयाद् दुद्रुवुर् अग्निकल्पाम् कालीं गरालंकृतकालकण्ठीम् उपेन्द्रपद्मोद्भवशक्रमुख्याः

Transliteration

jātāṃ tadānīṃ surasiddhasaṃghā dṛṣṭvā bhayād dudruvur agnikalpām kālīṃ garālaṃkṛtakālakaṇṭhīm upendrapadmodbhavaśakramukhyāḥ

Translation

Da erblickten die Scharen der Devas und Siddhas Kālikā, die eben erst hervorgegangen war—flammend wie Feuer, mit dunkler Kehle, geschmückt mit einem schrecklichen Kranz—und flohen aus Furcht, angeführt von Upendra (Viṣṇu), Padmodbhava (Brahmā) und Śakra (Indra).

Word by Word

• जाताम् (jātām): newly manifested/just arisen

• तदानीम् (tadānīm): at that time

• सुर-सिद्ध-संघाः (sura-siddha-saṅghāḥ): the assemblies of gods and siddhas

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā): having seen

• भयात् (bhayāt): out of fear

• दुद्रुवुः (dudruvuḥ): fled/ran away

• अग्नि-कल्पाम् (agni-kalpām): fire-like, blazing

• कालीम् (kālīm): Kālikā (the fierce Shakti)

• गरालं-कृत-काल-कण्ठीम् (garālaṃ-kṛta-kāla-kaṇṭhīm): having a dark/blackened throat adorned with a dreadful garland/ornament

• उपेन्द्र (upendra): Upendra, Viṣṇu

• पद्म-उद्भव (padma-udbhava): lotus-born, Brahmā

• शक्र (śakra): Indra

• मुख्याः (mukhyāḥ): the foremost/led by

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Kali (Kālī/Kālikā)
• Vishnu (Upendra)
• Brahma (Padmodbhava)
• Indra (Śakra)
• Devas
• Siddhas

FAQs

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

It highlights that even the highest devas recoil before the fierce Shakti of Shiva; Linga worship trains the pashu (bound soul) to seek refuge in Pati (Shiva) rather than relying on limited deva powers.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as transcendent and awe-inspiring through Shakti’s manifestation: the devas’ fear indicates that the Absolute’s power is not merely celestial but sovereign over all cosmic hierarchies.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata discipline: cultivate śaraṇāgati (refuge) and vairāgya (dispassion) toward worldly and even heavenly supports, turning the mind to Shiva as the sole liberator of the pashu from pāśa.