Shloka 52

Adhyaya 71: पुरत्रयवृत्तान्तः—ब्रह्मवरदानम्, मयकृतत्रिपुर-निर्माणम्, विष्णुमाया-धर्मविघ्नः, शिवस्तुति, त्रिपुरदाहोपक्रमः

Devanagari script

स एव सर्वदेवेशः सर्वेषामपि शङ्करः लीलया देवदैत्येन्द्रविभागमकरोद्धरः

Transliteration

sa eva sarvadeveśaḥ sarveṣāmapi śaṅkaraḥ līlayā devadaityendravibhāgamakaroddharaḥ

Translation

He alone is the Lord of all the gods; he alone is Śaṅkara, the beneficent One for all. By his mere līlā, his divine play, he established the distinction and ordering between the Devas and the Daitya-lords, sustaining the cosmic order.

Word by Word

• सः: He (Shiva)

• एव: alone/indeed

• सर्व-देव-ईशः: Lord of all deities

• सर्वेषाम् अपि: of all beings as well

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara, the auspicious benefactor

• लीलया: by sportive divine will (līlā)

• देव-दैत्य-इन्द्र-विभागम्: the division/ordering among the gods and the Daitya chiefs (their respective ranks and domains)

• अकरोत्: made/established

• धरः: the sustainer/bearer (upholder of dharma and the worlds)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Devas
• Daityas

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as Sarvadeveśa—the supreme Lord behind all divine powers—so Linga worship is directed to the ultimate Pati rather than to limited deities.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as sovereign and all-beneficent (Śaṅkara), effortlessly regulating cosmic hierarchies by līlā, indicating transcendence and lordship over all orders of beings.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is named; the takeaway is devotional alignment (bhakti) and contemplative recognition of Shiva as Pati, which undergirds Pāśupata-oriented worship and meditation.