Shloka 6

Devanagari script

स तं दृष्ट्वा महात्मानम् अघोरं घोरविक्रमम् ववन्दे देवदेवेशम् अद्भुतं कृष्णपिङ्गलम्

Transliteration

sa taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahātmānam aghoraṃ ghoravikramam vavande devadeveśam adbhutaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgalam

Translation

Als er jene Große Seele sah—Aghora dem Wesen nach und doch von ehrfurchtgebietender Kraft—verneigte er sich vor Devadeveśa, dem Herrn der Herren der Götter, dem Wunderbaren, dunkel von Farbe und zugleich von goldgelbem Glanz umstrahlt.

Word by Word

• स (sa): he

• तं (taṃ): him

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā): having seen

• महात्मानम् (mahātmānam): the Great Soul

• अघोरं (aghoraṃ): the non-terrifying, auspicious (Aghora) form

• घोर-विक्रमम् (ghora-vikramam): of dreadful/awe-inspiring prowess

• ववन्दे (vavande): bowed, paid homage

• देव-देवेशम् (devadeveśam): the Lord of the gods of gods (Supreme Deity)

• अद्भुतम् (adbhutam): wondrous, marvelous

• कृष्ण-पिङ्गलम् (kṛṣṇapiṅgalam): dark (krishna) and tawny-golden (piṅgala), of mixed hue/complexion

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes the primary bhava of Linga-upasana—humble surrender (vandana) to Pati (Shiva), the Devadevesha—by first receiving darshana and responding with reverence, which is foundational to all puja and pratishtha.

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

Shiva is portrayed as Aghora (intrinsically auspicious and beyond fear) while also ghoravikrama (terrible in power to dissolve pasha/bondage), indicating the same Supreme Reality that grants grace and also annihilates ignorance.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The practice is vandana/namaskara—devotional prostration and inner surrender—an essential limb of Shaiva sadhana that aligns the pashu (soul) toward Pati and prepares one for deeper Pashupata discipline and mantra-japa.