Shloka 36

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

मोहितं प्राह मामत्र परीक्षावो ऽग्निसंभवम् अधोगमिष्याम्यनलस्तंभस्यानुपमस्य च

Transliteration

mohitaṃ prāha māmatra parīkṣāvo 'gnisaṃbhavam adhogamiṣyāmyanalastaṃbhasyānupamasya ca

Translation

Verwirrt sprach er dort zu mir: „Lasst uns dieses aus Feuer geborene Wunder prüfen. Ich werde hinabsteigen, um die Grenze dieses unvergleichlichen Feuerpfeilers zu suchen.“

Word by Word

• mohitam: deluded, bewildered

• prāha: said, spoke

• mām: to me

• atra: here, in this place

• parīkṣā: a test, examination

• u: indeed

• agni-saṃbhavam: arisen from fire / fire-born

• adhaḥ-gamiṣyāmi: I shall go downward

• anala-stambhasya: of the pillar of fire (anala = fire)

• anupamasya: incomparable, unsurpassed

• ca: and

Speaker

Brahmā (within Sūta’s narration to the sages)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Shiva
• Agni

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga as the limitless, incomparable axis of reality—beyond measurement—so worship is directed to Shiva as Pati, not to a finite form that the mind can “verify.”

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

By calling the fiery pillar “anupama” (incomparable) and attempting to find its lower end, the verse highlights Shiva-tattva as beginningless and endless—transcending the grasp of even cosmic authorities.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway is not a specific rite but a Shaiva discipline: abandoning prideful “testing” and adopting Pashupata-bhāva—humility and surrender of the pashu (bound soul) before the immeasurable Pati.