Shloka 78

मुनिमोहशमनम्

Pāśupata-yoga, Siddhis, Puruṣa-darśana, Saṃsāra, and Prāṇa-Rudra Pañcāhutī

Devanagari script

तदेनं सेतुमात्मानम् अग्निं वै विश्वतोमुखम् हृदिस्थं सर्वभूतानाम् उपासीत महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tadenaṃ setumātmānam agniṃ vai viśvatomukham hṛdisthaṃ sarvabhūtānām upāsīta maheśvaram

Translation

Darum soll man jenen Maheshvara verehren: das innere Selbst (Ātman) und die heilige Brücke (setu), die hinüberträgt; Er ist wahrlich das Feuer, dessen Antlitz in alle Richtungen gewandt ist, und Er wohnt im Herzen aller Wesen.

Word by Word

• tad: therefore/that

• enam: this (Him)

• setum: bridge, causeway, that which enables crossing over (bondage)

• ātmānam: the Self, the indwelling reality

• agnim: fire (as the inner sacrificial fire/tejas)

• vai: indeed, verily

• viśvato-mukham: having faces in all directions, all-pervading awareness

• hṛdi-stham: abiding in the heart

• sarva-bhūtānām: of all beings

• upāsīta: should worship/meditate upon

• maheśvaram: Maheshvara, the Great Lord (Pati).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Linga Purana teachings to the sages of Naimisharanya; presenting an upasana instruction)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Agni
• Maheshvara

FAQs

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

It shifts Linga-upasana from merely external rite to inner realization: Maheshvara is to be worshipped as the indwelling Pati in the heart of every pashu, the ‘bridge’ that carries the soul beyond pasha (bondage).

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

Shiva is presented as Ātman and Antaryāmin—present in all beings—also as viśvatomukha (all-facing/all-pervading) and as Agni (conscious, purifying tejas), indicating His immanence without losing His lordship as Maheshvara.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Upāsanā as inner meditation: contemplating Maheshvara as the hṛdistha Agni—the inner sacrificial fire—so the pashu turns inward toward Pati, loosening pasha through steady awareness and devotion.