Shloka 104

अध्याय ९६: शरभ-प्रादुर्भावः, नृसिंह-दर्पशमनम्, विष्णोः शिवस्तुतिः, फलश्रुति

Devanagari script

ईदृशान् ते ऽवताराणि दृष्ट्वा शिव बहूंस्तमः कदाचित् संदिहेन् नास्मांस् त्वच्चिन्तास्तमया तथा

Transliteration

īdṛśān te 'vatārāṇi dṛṣṭvā śiva bahūṃstamaḥ kadācit saṃdihen nāsmāṃs tvaccintāstamayā tathā

Translation

O Śiva, nachdem wir so viele Deiner Herabkünfte geschaut haben, mögen Dunkelheit und Verblendung uns niemals wieder zweifeln lassen; denn ebenso lässt die Betrachtung Deiner die Dunkelheit schwinden.

Word by Word

• īdṛśān: of such a kind

• te: your

• avatārāṇi: descents/manifestations

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen

• śiva: O Shiva

• bahūn: many

• tamaḥ: darkness, ignorance, delusion

• kadācit: ever/at any time

• saṃdihen: may (we) doubt

• na: not

• asmān: us

• tvat-cintā: contemplation/meditation on You

• tamayā: by that (darkness) / with respect to darkness

• tathā: thus/in that manner (i.e., it subsides).

Speaker

Devotees/Devas addressing Shiva (within Suta’s narration to the sages)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-oriented devotion as tvat-cintā—steady contemplation of Shiva—which directly removes tamas (spiritual darkness) and prevents doubt, making worship a means of releasing the pashu from pasha.

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

Shiva is implied as Pati, the revealer whose manifestations (avatāras) and presence in contemplation dissolve ignorance; His tattva is self-luminous and dispels tamas rather than being affected by it.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The key practice is Shiva-cintā (meditative remembrance), aligned with Pashupata Yoga: sustained contemplation that burns tamas and stabilizes faith, supporting both inner japa/dhyāna and outer Linga-pūjā.