Shloka 23

Indra’s Account: Shilada’s Tapas and Shiva’s Manifestation as Nandi

Devanagari script

लक्ष्मीः साक्षाच्छची ज्येष्ठा देवी चैव सरस्वती अदितिश् च दितिश्चैव श्रद्धा लज्जा धृतिस् तथा

Transliteration

lakṣmīḥ sākṣācchacī jyeṣṭhā devī caiva sarasvatī aditiś ca ditiścaiva śraddhā lajjā dhṛtis tathā

Translation

Lakṣmī selbst, ebenso Śacī, Jyeṣṭhā, Devī und auch Sarasvatī; gleicherweise Aditi und Diti—zusammen mit Śraddhā (Glaube), Lajjā (Schamhaftigkeit) und Dhṛti (Standhaftigkeit)—werden als offenbar gewordene göttliche Kräfte bezeichnet. In der śaivischen Sicht sind dies Weisen der Śakti, die in der Schöpfung unter der Herrschaft von Pati (Śiva) wirken.

Word by Word

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakshmi (fortune, prosperity)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person, manifestly

• शची: Shachi/Indrani

• ज्येष्ठा: Jyeshtha (the elder/inauspicious power)

• देवी: the Goddess (Devi)

• च एव: and indeed

• सरस्वती: Sarasvati (speech, knowledge)

• अदितिः: Aditi (mother of the Adityas, boundlessness)

• च: and

• दितिः: Diti (mother of the Daityas)

• श्रद्धा: faith, reverent conviction

• लज्जा: modesty, shame (ethical restraint)

• धृतिः: firmness, fortitude, sustaining power

• तथा: likewise, also

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi
• Shachi (Indrani)
• Jyeshtha
• Devi
• Sarasvati
• Aditi
• Diti
• Shraddha
• Lajja
• Dhriti

FAQs

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

It frames prosperity, knowledge, cosmic maternity, and inner virtues as Śakti’s expressions—reminding the worshipper that Linga-pūjā is not merely external ritual, but honoring the Pati (Śiva) together with His operative power (Śakti) that sustains all functions of life.

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

By listing many goddesses and virtues as manifest powers, it implies Śiva-tattva as Pati: the transcendent Lord who remains the ground of consciousness while Śakti unfolds as names, forms, and qualities within sṛṣṭi; thus Shiva is the ruler of pasha-bound pashus through His own power.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to Śakti-bhāvanā in worship and yoga: cultivating śraddhā (faith), lajjā (ethical restraint), and dhṛti (steadfast concentration) as inner disciplines that support Linga-pūjā and Pāśupata-oriented purification from pasha (bondage).