Shloka 6

ऋषिकृत-रुद्रस्तुतिः तथा संहाराग्नि-प्रश्नः

Kāma–Krodha–Lobha and the Fire of Dissolution

Devanagari script

ऋषीणां च वसिष्ठस् त्वं देवानां वासवस् तथा ओङ्कारः सर्ववेदानां श्रेष्ठं साम च सामसु

Transliteration

ṛṣīṇāṃ ca vasiṣṭhas tvaṃ devānāṃ vāsavas tathā oṅkāraḥ sarvavedānāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ sāma ca sāmasu

Translation

Among seers you are Vasiṣṭha; among the gods you are Vāsava (Indra). You are the sacred Oṃ among all the Vedas, and among the Sāman hymns you are the supreme Sāma. Thus you stand as Pati—the unsurpassed Lord—present as the highest essence within every order and every revelation.

Word by Word

• ऋषीणाम्: among the sages

• च: and

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha (the foremost ṛṣi)

• त्वम्: you

• देवानाम्: among the gods

• वासवः: Vāsava/Indra

• तथा: likewise

• ओङ्कारः: the syllable Oṃ (praṇava)

• सर्ववेदानाम्: of all the Vedas

• श्रेष्ठम्: the श्रेष्ठ/most excellent

• साम: the Sāma (Sāma-veda hymn/chant)

• च: and

• सामसु: among the Sāman chants

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the praise as part of the Purāṇic discourse to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vasishtha
• Indra (Vasava)
• Om (Pranava)
• Vedas
• Sama Veda

FAQs

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

It establishes Shiva as the supreme essence (Pati) present in the highest symbols of Vedic revelation—especially Oṃ—supporting Linga worship as Veda-aligned, where the Linga signifies the formless Absolute made accessible for devotion and mantra.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as the superlative principle within every hierarchy—ṛṣi, deva, and śruti—indicating that all excellences are reflections of the one Lord who transcends yet pervades names and functions.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Praṇava-centered practice is implied: japa of Oṃ (and Shiva-mantras rooted in it) as a Pāśupata-oriented means to turn the pashu (bound soul) away from pāśa (bondage) toward Pati (Shiva) through concentrated remembrance.