Shloka 81

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

नाचरेद्देहबाधायां दौर्मनस्यादिसम्भवे सुगुप्ते तु शुभे रम्ये गुहायां पर्वतस्य तु

Transliteration

nācareddehabādhāyāṃ daurmanasyādisambhave sugupte tu śubhe ramye guhāyāṃ parvatasya tu

Translation

Man soll weder Askese noch geistige Übung an einem Ort beginnen, der den Körper schädigt oder Niedergeschlagenheit und andere Störungen hervorruft. Vielmehr übe man in einer gut verborgenen, glückverheißenden und lieblichen Berghöhle—geeignet für die standhafte Betrachtung von Pati (Śiva) und zum Lockern der Fesseln (pāśa), die den paśu (die Seele) binden.

Word by Word

• na: not

• ācaret: one should practice/undertake

• deha-bādhāyām: where there is bodily affliction/injury

• daurmanasya-ādi-sambhave: where dejection (daurmanasya) and similar (ādi) disturbances arise

• su-guptे: well-hidden, well-protected

• tu: indeed

• śubhe: auspicious

• ramye: pleasant, delightful

• guhāyām: in a cave

• parvatasya: of a mountain

• tu: and/indeed

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana’s teaching 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 prerequisite environment for effective linga-upāsanā: practice should be done where the body and mind remain steady—secluded, auspicious, and undisturbed—so devotion and concentration can mature.

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

By implication it frames Śiva as Pati, realized through stable contemplation; when the paśu (individual soul) practices in the right conditions, the pāśa (bondage) weakens and the soul becomes fit for Śiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights the yogic discipline of choosing a proper deśa (place) for tapas and dhyāna—favoring a protected, quiet cave-like retreat that supports Pāśupata-style steadiness and inward worship.