Shloka 57

ब्रह्मनारायणस्तवः — शिवस्य प्रभवत्व-प्रतिपादनम्

Devanagari script

प्रणवप्रणवेशाय भगनेत्रान्तकाय च मृगव्याधाय दक्षाय दक्षयज्ञान्तकाय च

Transliteration

praṇavapraṇaveśāya bhaganetrāntakāya ca mṛgavyādhāya dakṣāya dakṣayajñāntakāya ca

Translation

Salutations to the Lord who is Pranava itself and the Sovereign of Pranava; to Him who ended Bhaga’s eye; to the Hunter who pursued the cosmic Deer; to Dakṣa as the inner ruler; and to Him who brought Dakṣa’s sacrifice to its end.

Word by Word

• प्रणव: Pranava (Oṁ)

• प्रणवेश: Lord of Pranava, master of Oṁ

• -आय: to/unto (dative ending)

• भग: Bhaga (a Āditya, deity at Dakṣa’s rite)

• नेत्र: eye

• अन्तक: ender/destroyer

• च: and

• मृग: deer (also a symbol for the elusive mind/creation)

• व्याध: hunter

• दक्ष: Dakṣa (Prajāpati)

• यज्ञ: sacrifice/ritual

• यज्ञान्तक: ender of the sacrifice (one who terminates the rite).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya; the verse functions as a Shiva-stuti within the narration)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Om (Pranava)
• Bhaga
• Daksha

FAQs

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

It identifies Shiva as Pranava itself (Oṁ) and as Pranaveśa, grounding Linga worship in the highest sonic and metaphysical principle; the Linga is revered as the sign of Pati beyond ritual ego, as shown by Shiva ending Dakṣa’s misguided sacrifice.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati—the supreme Lord who is both the essence of Oṁ and its ruler—transcendent yet immanent, capable of dissolving adharma (Dakṣa’s pride-bound yajña) and revealing the right orientation of worship toward the Absolute.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ritually, it points to the limitation of yajña when driven by ahaṅkāra and exclusion of Shiva; yogically, the “hunter of the deer” evokes Pashupata discipline where the restless mind (mṛga) is pursued and mastered under Pati’s grace.