Shloka 6

शिवार्चनविधिः — देवतानां पाशुपतव्रतप्राप्तिः तथा पशुपाशविमोक्षणम् (अध्याय ८०)

Devanagari script

देस्च्रिप्तिओन् ओफ़् म्त्। मेरु सकलदुरितहीनं सर्वदं भोगमुख्यं मुदितकुररवृन्दं नादितं नागवृन्दैः मधुररणितगीतं सानुकूलान्धकारं पदरचितवनान्तं कान्तवातान्ततोयम्

Transliteration

description of Mt. Meru sakaladuritahīnaṃ sarvadaṃ bhogamukhyaṃ muditakuraravṛndaṃ nāditaṃ nāgavṛndaiḥ madhuraraṇitagītaṃ sānukūlāndhakāraṃ padaracitavanāntaṃ kāntavātāntatoyam

Translation

Mount Meru is free from every stain of sin; it grants all attainments and is foremost in bestowing noble enjoyments. It resounds with joyous flocks of birds and is echoed by hosts of nāgas. Its song is sweet and ringing; its shade is pleasantly cool. Its forest-glades are traced by well-trodden paths, and it is graced with delightful breezes and refreshing waters.

Word by Word

• meruḥ: Mount Meru

• sakala: all

• durita: demerit/sin

• hīnam: devoid of

• sarva-dam: bestowing all (boons/attainments)

• bhoga-mukhyam: foremost in enjoyments/prosperity

• mudita: delighted/joyous

• kurara-vṛndam: flocks of kurara-birds (ospreys)

• nāditam: made to resound

• nāga-vṛndaiḥ: by groups of nāgas/serpentine beings

• madhura: sweet

• raṇita: ringing/warbling

• gītam: song

• sānukūla: pleasant/favorable

• andhakāram: shade/dimness

• pada-racita: made/marked by footsteps (well-laid paths)

• vanāntam: forest-ends/groves/glades

• kānta: charming/delightful

• vāta: breeze/wind

• anta: together with/ending in (here: accompanied by)

• toyam: water

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Mount Meru
• Nagas

FAQs

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

By portraying Meru as “free from all durita” and as a giver of all attainments, the verse frames sacred space as a purifier of the pashu (bound soul) and a support for Shiva-oriented worship, where merit, clarity, and auspicious conditions aid devotion to the Pati (Lord).

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

Indirectly: Meru’s sinless, boon-bestowing, harmoniously resonant environment mirrors Shiva-tattva as purity (nirmalatā) and anugraha (grace) that removes pasha (bondage) and grants both worldly well-being and higher auspiciousness when approached with right orientation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes the yogic prerequisite of a sattvic, purified setting—cool shade, calm waters, and sacred resonance—supportive of japa, dhyāna, and Pashupata-style inner discipline aimed at loosening pasha and turning the pashu toward Pati.