Shloka 76

वंशानुवर्णनम् — सात्वतवंशः, स्यमन्तक-प्रसङ्गः, कृष्णावतारः, शिवप्रसादः (पाशुपतयोगः)

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वबाहुर् निरालंबः पादाङ्गुष्ठाग्रधिष्ठितः फलाम्बनिलभोजी च ऋतुत्रयम् अधोक्षजः

Transliteration

ūrdhvabāhur nirālaṃbaḥ pādāṅguṣṭhāgradhiṣṭhitaḥ phalāmbanilabhojī ca ṛtutrayam adhokṣajaḥ

Translation

With arms uplifted, unsupported by any prop, poised upon the tips of the great toes, living only on fruits, water, and air—enduring through the three seasons—he is the Adhokṣaja, the Transcendent Lord beyond the reach of the senses.

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-bāhuḥ: with arms raised upward

• nirālambaḥ: without support, unaided

• pāda-aṅguṣṭha-agra-adhiṣṭhitaḥ: standing/established on the tips of the big toes

• phala-amba-anila-bhojī: one who subsists on fruits, water, and air (austere sustenance)

• ca: and

• ṛtu-trayam: the three seasons (a full cycle of seasonal endurance)

• adhokṣajaḥ: the Transcendent One, beyond sense-perception (a name of the Supreme Lord applied here to Shiva as Pati).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the characteristics of the Supreme Pati as taught in the Purana’s Shaiva context)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva (Pati) as the transcendent Adhokṣaja whose reality is approached through tapas, restraint, and inner worship—supporting Linga-puja as a discipline that purifies the pashu (soul) from pasha (bondage) rather than mere external ritual.

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

By calling him Adhokṣaja, it asserts Shiva-tattva as beyond sensory grasp and conceptual limits; the ascetic marks signify not human hardship alone, but the Lord’s sovereign transcendence and mastery over prakṛti and its constraints.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pāśupata-style tapas and yogic endurance: standing on toe-tips, arms raised, non-dependence (nirālamba), and minimal sustenance (fruits, water, air) practiced across a seasonal cycle—symbolizing control of body and senses for liberation.