Shloka 16

देवादिसृष्टिकथनम् (वसिष्ठशोकः, पराशरजन्म, एकलिङ्गपूजा, रुद्रदर्शनम्)

Devanagari script

अरुन्धती कराभ्यां तां संस्पृश्यास्राकुलेक्षणाम् रुरोद मुनिशार्दूलो भार्यया सुतवत्सलः

Transliteration

arundhatī karābhyāṃ tāṃ saṃspṛśyāsrākulekṣaṇām ruroda muniśārdūlo bhāryayā sutavatsalaḥ

Translation

Arundhatī touched her with both hands and saw her eyes clouded with tears; and that tiger among sages, tender with love for his child, wept together with his wife. In such worldly sorrow the paśu (bound soul) is seen beneath pāśa (bondage), until refuge is taken in Pati—Lord Śiva, the liberator.

Word by Word

• अरुन्धती: Arundhatī

• कराभ्याम्: with (her) two hands

• ताम्: her

• संस्पृश्य: having touched

• अस्राकुलेक्षणाम्: whose eyes were filled/confused with tears

• रुरोद: wept

• मुनिशार्दूलः: the tiger among sages (a great ṛṣi)

• भार्यया: with (his) wife

• सुतवत्सलः: affectionate toward (his) child

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Arundhati
• Vasistha

FAQs

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

Though not a direct pūjā-vidhi verse, it shows the human condition of grief (pāśa). Linga worship, as taught in the Linga Purana, is the practical refuge where the pashu turns toward Pati (Śiva) to transcend sorrow through devotion and inner steadiness.

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

By contrast: the verse portrays tear-bound emotion and attachment, implying the need for Shiva-tattva as Pati—unchanging consciousness and grace—who releases the soul from the bonds that arise in embodied life.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata orientation: convert intense emotion into śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and sustained japa/dhyāna on Śiva, cultivating vairāgya so that grief does not harden into bondage.