Shloka 34

प्रलय-तत्त्वलयः, नीललोहित-रुद्रः, अष्टमूर्तिस्तवः, एवं ब्रह्मणो वैराग्यम्

Devanagari script

अष्टमूर्तेस्तु सायुज्यं वर्षादेकादवाप्नुयात् एवं स्तुत्वा महादेवम् अवैक्षत पितामहः

Transliteration

aṣṭamūrtestu sāyujyaṃ varṣādekādavāpnuyāt evaṃ stutvā mahādevam avaikṣata pitāmahaḥ

Translation

Sāyujya—vollkommene Vereinigung—mit dem Herrn der Achtgestalt (Aṣṭamūrti) erlangt man innerhalb von elf Jahren. Nachdem Pitāmaha (Brahmā) Mahādeva so gepriesen hatte, schaute er Ihn dann an und erblickte Ihn.

Word by Word

• अष्टमूर्तेः (aṣṭamūrteḥ): of the Eight-Formed Lord

• तु (tu): indeed

• सायुज्यम् (sāyujyam): union, identity with the Lord (liberating communion)

• वर्षात् (varṣāt): from/within (a period of) years

• एकात् दश (ekāda): eleven

• अवाप्नुयात् (avāpnuyāt): would obtain/attain

• एवम् (evam): thus

• स्तुत्वा (stutvā): having praised

• महादेवम् (mahādevam): Mahādeva (Śiva as the Supreme Pati)

• अवैक्षत (avaikṣata): looked upon, beheld

• पितामहः (pitāmahaḥ): the Grandfather, Brahmā.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the internal episode involving Brahma/Pitamaha)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Ashtamurti

FAQs

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

It states the fruit (phala) of praising Śiva as Aṣṭamūrti: sustained devotion culminates in sāyujya, and culminates in darśana—direct beholding of Mahādeva—showing that inner worship (stuti) supports Linga-upāsanā’s goal of liberation.

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

Śiva is presented as Aṣṭamūrti—the all-pervasive Pati manifesting through cosmic forms—yet personally accessible, granting sāyujya to the paśu when pāśa is dissolved through devotion and realization.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Stuti (hymnic praise) as a disciplined sādhana over time; it functions like bhakti-yukta upāsanā within a Pāśupata orientation, leading to purification, grace (anugraha), and ultimately darśana and sāyujya.