Shloka 2

नन्दिकेश्वरोत्पत्तिः — Nandikesvara’s Origin, Shiva’s Boons, and the Rise of Sacred Rivers

Devanagari script

यदागतो ऽहमुटजं शिलादस्य महामुने तदा वै दैविकं रूपं त्यक्त्वा मानुष्यम् आस्थितः

Transliteration

yadāgato 'hamuṭajaṃ śilādasya mahāmune tadā vai daivikaṃ rūpaṃ tyaktvā mānuṣyam āsthitaḥ

Translation

O great sage, when I came to Śilāda’s hermitage, I set aside my divine form and assumed a human embodiment—so that Pati, the Lord, might be approached by the paśus, the bound souls, through visible and disciplined practice.

Word by Word

• yadā: when

• āgataḥ: having come/arrived

• aham: I

• uṭajam: to the hut/hermitage

• śilādasya: of Śilāda

• mahāmune: O great sage

• tadā: then

• vai: indeed

• daivikam: divine

• rūpam: form

• tyaktvā: having abandoned/set aside

• mānuṣyam: human

• āsthitaḥ: assumed/taken refuge in

Speaker

Shiva (speaking within Suta’s narration)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shilada

FAQs

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

It shows Shiva’s anugraha (grace): by taking a human form, the transcendent Pati becomes approachable for devotees, making disciplined worship—especially Linga-upāsanā—practically attainable for paśus bound by pाशa.

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

Shiva-tattva is simultaneously transcendent and immanent: though divine by essence, Shiva can veil (tirodhāna) and reveal (anugraha) by adopting forms suited to the seeker, without diminishing His lordship as Pati.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implies Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā: the Lord assumes an accessible form to teach vrata, mantra, and disciplined conduct that purifies the paśu and loosens pāśa, culminating in Shiva-realization.