Shloka 4

अन्धक-हिरण्याक्ष-प्रसङ्गः, वराहावतारः, दंष्ट्राभूषणं च

Devanagari script

देवाञ्जित्वाथ दैत्येन्द्रो बद्ध्वा च धरणीमिमाम् नीत्वा रसातलं चक्रे वन्दीम् इन्दीवरप्रभाम्

Transliteration

devāñjitvātha daityendro baddhvā ca dharaṇīmimām nītvā rasātalaṃ cakre vandīm indīvaraprabhām

Translation

Nachdem er die Devas besiegt hatte, fesselte der Herr der Daityas diese Erde selbst und führte sie nach Rasātala hinab; dort machte er sie zur Gefangenen — dunkel schimmernd wie ein blauer Lotus.

Word by Word

• devān: the Devas (gods)

• jitvā: having conquered

• atha: then/thereupon

• daitya-indraḥ: the lord of the Daityas (demon-king)

• baddhvā: having bound

• ca: and

• dharaṇīm: the Earth

• imām: this (very)

• nītvā: having taken/led

• rasātalam: Rasātala (netherworld)

• cakre: made/caused to be

• vandīm: a captive/prisoner

• indīvara-prabhām: having the splendor/hue of a blue lotus

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya; contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Daityendra
• Dharani (Earth)
• Rasatala

FAQs

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

It frames the crisis of bondage and cosmic imbalance—setting the narrative need for Pati (Shiva) to re-establish dharma, a key backdrop for why devotees take refuge in the Linga as the stabilizing sign of Mahadeva.

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

By contrast: the Daitya’s act of binding the Earth exemplifies pāśa (bondage) imposed on the world; Shiva-tattva is implicitly Pati—the sovereign liberator who breaks bondage and restores the proper order of beings (paśu) and worlds.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No explicit rite is stated, but the verse strongly points to the Shaiva theme of releasing bondage (pāśa-kṣaya), which is classically pursued through Pashupata-oriented devotion, japa, and Linga-upāsanā aimed at liberation and restoration of dharma.