Shloka 83

एकार्णव-सृष्टिक्रमः, ब्रह्म-विष्णु-परस्परप्रवेशः, शिवस्य आगमनं च

Devanagari script

आ तारार्केन्दुनक्षत्रं शून्यं लोकमवेक्ष्य च को ऽहमित्यपि च ध्याते कुमारास्ते ऽभवंस्तदा

Transliteration

ā tārārkendunakṣatraṃ śūnyaṃ lokamavekṣya ca ko 'hamityapi ca dhyāte kumārāste 'bhavaṃstadā

Translation

Gazing upon the worlds as void—even up to the stars, the sun, the moon, and the constellations—and meditating on the thought, “Who am I?”, those sages became Kumāras at that very time.

Word by Word

• ā: up to, as far as

• tārā: stars

• arka: sun

• indu: moon

• nakṣatram: constellations

• śūnyam: empty, void (devoid of lasting essence)

• lokam: the world(s)

• avekṣya: having beheld, after observing

• ca: and

• ko 'ham: who am I

• iti: thus

• api: also

• dhyāte: when (they) meditated / in meditation

• kumārāḥ: the Kumāras (ever-youthful ascetics)

• te: they

• abhavan: became

• tadā: then, at that time

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Kumaras

FAQs

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

It grounds outer Linga-puja in inner purification: seeing the cosmos as insubstantial and turning to self-inquiry prepares the pashu (soul) to approach Pati (Shiva) through worship with detachment.

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

By portraying the worlds as “void” before the light of inquiry, the verse implies that enduring reality is not in changing lokas but in the Supreme Pati—Shiva—who is realized when pasha (bondage) is weakened by discernment.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Atma-vichara (self-inquiry: “ko ’ham?”) coupled with vairagya (dispassion) is highlighted—an inner yogic discipline aligned with Pashupata-oriented renunciation that supports effective Shiva-upasana.