Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

दक्षयज्ञे शिरश्छिन्नं मया ते यज्ञरूपिणः अद्यापि तव पुत्रस्य ब्रह्मणः पञ्चमं शिरः

Transliteration

dakṣayajñe śiraśchinnaṃ mayā te yajñarūpiṇaḥ adyāpi tava putrasya brahmaṇaḥ pañcamaṃ śiraḥ

Translation

Bei Dakshas Opfer habe ich deinen Kopf abgeschlagen – obwohl du die Gestalt des Opfers selbst angenommen hattest. Selbst jetzt habe ich den fünften Kopf deines Sohnes, Brahmā, abgeschlagen.

Word by Word

• dakṣa-yajñe: in Daksha’s sacrifice

• śiraḥ-chinnam: head severed/cut off

• mayā: by me

• te: your

• yajña-rūpiṇaḥ: of you who had the form of the sacrifice

• adyāpi: even now/still

• tava: your

• putrasya: of the son

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā

• pañcamam: fifth

• śiraḥ: head

Speaker

Shiva (within Suta’s narration)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Daksha
• Brahma
• Yajna

FAQs

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

It asserts that Shiva (Pati) stands beyond ritual form; when yajna is performed with ego and exclusion of Shiva, the ritual loses its sanctity—hence Linga worship emphasizes surrender to Shiva as the inner essence of sacrifice.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as the sovereign reality that regulates cosmic offices and disciplines pride; even Brahma’s authority is subordinate to Shiva, who cuts the ‘extra head’ symbolic of false doership and inflated intellect.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pashupata discipline: abandon ahankara (ego) and karmic fixation (pasha) by offering all acts as inner yajna to Pati—ritual becomes valid when rooted in devotion and right understanding.