Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

शालङ्कायनपुत्रो वै शिलादः पुत्रवत्सलः उपदिष्टा हि तेनैव ऋक्शाखा यजुषस् तथा

Transliteration

śālaṅkāyanaputro vai śilādaḥ putravatsalaḥ upadiṣṭā hi tenaiva ṛkśākhā yajuṣas tathā

Translation

Indeed, Śilāda—son of Śālaṅkāyana and deeply affectionate toward his son—was the very one who taught the branch of the Ṛgveda, and likewise the branch of the Yajurveda.

Word by Word

• śālaṅkāyana-putraḥ: the son of Śālaṅkāyana

• vai: indeed

• śilādaḥ: Śilāda (name of a sage)

• putra-vatsalaḥ: loving/affectionate toward his son

• upadiṣṭā: was taught/was instructed (i.e., transmitted)

• hi: certainly/indeed

• tena eva: by him alone/by that very person

• ṛk-śākhā: the branch (recensional lineage) of the Ṛgveda

• yajuṣaḥ: of the Yajurveda

• tathā: likewise/also.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Śilāda
• Śālaṅkāyana
• Ṛgveda
• Yajurveda

FAQs

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

It grounds Shaiva practice in Vedic authority by showing how recognized Ṛg and Yajur recensions were preserved through rishi lineages—supporting the legitimacy of Vedic mantras used in Mahadeva’s worship.

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

Indirectly: by highlighting faithful Vedic transmission, it points to Shiva as Pati—the Lord approached through śruti-backed mantra and disciplined lineage, which stabilizes the pashu’s (soul’s) path away from pāśa (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Śākhā-paramparā (lineage-based preservation of Vedic recensions), which underpins proper mantra-vidhi for Shiva-pūjā; no specific Pāśupata yoga technique is explicitly stated in this verse.