Shloka 99

देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च

Devanagari script

हिरण्यवर्णो ज्योतिष्मान् नानाभूतधरो ध्वनिः अरोगो नियमाध्यक्षो विश्वामित्रो द्विजोत्तमः

Transliteration

hiraṇyavarṇo jyotiṣmān nānābhūtadharo dhvaniḥ arogo niyamādhyakṣo viśvāmitro dvijottamaḥ

Translation

He is golden-hued and radiant with spiritual splendor; He bears and sustains the manifold orders of beings, and He is the primal Sound. Free from all affliction, He presides over the sacred disciplines (niyamas). He is the inner guide of seers like Viśvāmitra, and the supreme among the twice-born (dvija).

Word by Word

• हिरण्यवर्णः: golden-complexioned, resplendent

• ज्योतिष्मान्: luminous, filled with divine radiance

• नानाभूतधरः: supporter/sustainer of diverse beings and elements

• ध्वनिः: sound, vibration, the primal resonance (nāda)

• अरोगः: free from disease/sorrow, untouched by affliction

• नियमाध्यक्षः: overseer of restraints and observances, Lord of spiritual discipline

• विश्वामित्रः: (as a name) friend of all / the power presiding over the sage Viśvāmitra

• द्विजोत्तमः: best of the twice-born, supreme among the spiritually initiated

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, within the Shiva Sahasranama recital)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishvamitra

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga as the Lord’s jyotis (radiant consciousness) and dhvani (primal nāda), guiding the devotee to worship Shiva not merely as a form, but as the sustaining light-and-sound principle pervading all beings.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati—self-luminous, untainted by suffering (aroga), and the regulator of inner discipline (niyamādhyakṣa), who upholds the entire field of manifested beings while remaining transcendent.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes niyama (sacred observances) under Shiva’s lordship—supporting a Pashupata-oriented practice of purity, restraint, mantra-recitation (nāda/dhvani), and disciplined worship of the Linga.