Shloka 8

Adhyaya 59 — सूर्याद्यभिषेककथनम्

Surya and Related Abhisheka/ Cosmological Determinations

Devanagari script

स्वयंभूर्भगवांस्तत्र लोकसर्वार्थसाधकः खद्योतवत्स व्यचरद् आविर्भावचिकीर्षया

Transliteration

svayaṃbhūrbhagavāṃstatra lokasarvārthasādhakaḥ khadyotavatsa vyacarad āvirbhāvacikīrṣayā

Translation

Dort bewegte sich der selbstgeborene, erhabene Herr (Svayambhū)—der jedes wahre Ziel der Welten vollendet—wie ein Glühwürmchen, in der Absicht, Seine Offenbarung sichtbar zu machen.

Word by Word

• स्वयंभूः: self-born, self-existent (Svayambhū)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord (Pati, Īśvara)

• तत्र: there, in that place/context

• लोक: the worlds, beings as a whole

• सर्व-अर्थ-साधकः: fulfiller of all aims/ends (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa) for the worlds

• खद्योतवत्: like a khadyota, a firefly (small, flickering radiance)

• व्यचरद्: moved about, wandered, pervaded/roamed

• आविर्भाव: manifestation, becoming evident

• चिकीर्षया: with the intention/desire to do (to bring about).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Śiva as Svayaṃbhū—self-manifest—who chooses to become perceptible for the welfare of the worlds, supporting the Purāṇic idea that the Liṅga is a revealed form (prādurbhāva) through which devotees approach the transcendent Pati.

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

Śiva is presented as the autonomous Lord (Pati), self-existent and compassionate, who fulfills the highest aims of beings; His subtle movement “like a firefly” suggests a gentle, luminous self-disclosure rather than a forced or created embodiment.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to prādurbhāva (divine self-revelation), which in practice is approached through Liṅga-pūjā and Pāśupata-oriented discipline—purifying the pashu (soul) from pāśa (bondage) so the Lord’s presence becomes experientially evident.