Shloka 131

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

तत्समा ह्युरुदेहत्वान् न मही याति संप्लवम् तत उत्क्षिप्य तां देवो जगतः स्थापनेच्छया

Transliteration

tatsamā hyurudehatvān na mahī yāti saṃplavam tata utkṣipya tāṃ devo jagataḥ sthāpanecchayā

Translation

By the vast expanse of His mighty body, the Earth did not sink into the cosmic flood. Then the Lord, wishing to re-establish the worlds in their rightful order, lifted her up.

Word by Word

• tatsamā: equal to that (His support)

• hi: indeed

• urudehatvāt: because of (His) immense-bodied nature

• na: not

• mahī: the Earth

• yāti: goes/enters

• saṃplavam: the deluge, cosmic inundation

• tataḥ: then

• utkṣipya: having lifted up/raised

• tām: her (the Earth)

• devaḥ: the Lord, the Deva

• jagataḥ: of the world(s)

• sthāpana-icchayā: with the इच्छा (will) to establish/stabilize (them).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Earth (Mahī/Prithivī)

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as the cosmic support (ādhāra) whose sustaining power prevents collapse during pralaya—an idea embodied by the Linga as the stable axis of creation and worship.

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

Shiva appears as Pati endowed with sovereign will (icchā-śakti), sustaining and re-establishing the cosmos (sthiti and sthāpana) beyond the forces of dissolution.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata orientation: steadiness through devotion and surrender to Shiva’s stabilizing will—useful as a contemplation (bhāvanā) during Linga-pūjā for inner grounding.