Shloka 106

अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य — काशी-वाराणसी में मोक्ष, लिङ्ग-तीर्थ-मानचित्र, और उपासना-विधि

Devanagari script

शैलेशं संगमेशं च स्वर्लीनं मध्यमेश्वरम् हिरण्यगर्भम् ईशानं गोप्रेक्षं वृषभध्वजम्

Transliteration

śaileśaṃ saṃgameśaṃ ca svarlīnaṃ madhyameśvaram hiraṇyagarbham īśānaṃ goprekṣaṃ vṛṣabhadhvajam

Translation

I bow to Śiva as Śaileśa, Lord of the mountain; as Saṅgameśa, Lord of the sacred confluence; as Svarlīna, the One abiding in the heavenly realm; as Madhyameśvara, the Lord in the middle, the inner ruler; as Hiraṇyagarbha, the golden source of manifestation; as Īśāna, the sovereign Lord; as Goprekṣa, the guardian who watches over the cows and the righteous; and as Vṛṣabhadhvaja, He whose banner bears the Bull.

Word by Word

• शैलेशम् (śaileśam): Lord of the mountain

• संगमेशम् (saṃgameśam): Lord of the confluence (tīrtha)

• च (ca): and

• स्वर्लीनम् (svarlīnam): abiding in heaven / merged in the celestial realm

• मध्यमेश्वरम् (madhyameśvaram): the Middle Lord / inner ruler in the midst

• हिरण्यगर्भम् (hiraṇyagarbham): the golden womb/source (cosmic origin)

• ईशानम् (īśānam): Īśāna, the supreme ruler

• गोप्रेक्षम् (goprekṣam): watcher/protector of cows (and dharma)

• वृषभध्वजम् (vṛṣabhadhvajam): bull-bannered (sign of Dharma and Pati).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a Shiva-nama/linga-stotra section to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ishana
• Hiranyagarbha

FAQs

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

It functions as a nama-recitation (epithet-list) for Linga-puja: each name anchors the worshipper’s mind in Śiva as Pati present in specific sacred modes—mountain, confluence, cosmic source, and bull-bannered dharma—making the offering inwardly contemplative, not merely external.

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

Śiva is presented as both transcendent sovereign (Īśāna) and immanent inner ruler (Madhyameśvara), the causal ground of manifestation (Hiraṇyagarbha) while remaining the dharma-bearing Lord (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)—the Pati who liberates the paśu from pāśa through right knowledge and devotion.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Nama-japa and dhyāna during Linga-puja: meditate on Śiva as the inner center (madhya) and as Īśāna while offering water/flowers at a tīrtha (especially a saṅgama), integrating devotion with Pāśupata-style inward recollection of Pati.