Shloka 96

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतभवं ज्ञात्वा लिड्रमर्चति यः प्रभो: । तस्मिन्नभ्यधिकां प्रीतिं करोति वृषभध्वज:,जो भगवान्‌ शिवके लिंगको सम्पूर्ण भूतोंकी उत्पत्तिका स्थान जानकर उसकी पूजा करता है, उसपर भगवान्‌ शंकर अधिक प्रेम करते हैं

Transliteration

sarvabhūtabhavaṁ jñātvā liṅgam arcati yaḥ prabhoḥ | tasminn abhyadhikāṁ prītiṁ karoti vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: Whoever, knowing the Lord’s liṅga to be the very source from which all beings arise, worships it—upon that devotee Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva, whose banner bears the bull) bestows an even greater love and favor.

Word by Word

सर्वभूतभवम्the origin/source of all beings

ज्ञात्वाhaving known

लिङ्गम्the liṅga (Śiva-emblem)

अर्चतिworships

यःwho

प्रभोःof the Lord

तस्मिन्in/for him (in that person)

अभ्यधिकाम्greater, exceeding

प्रीतिम्affection, favor

करोतिshows/does (bestows)

वृषभध्वजःthe Bull-bannered one (Śiva)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Śiva

Liṅga

Vṛṣabhadhvaja (epithet of Śiva)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worship becomes especially fruitful when it is grounded in insight: recognizing Śiva’s liṅga as the source of all beings, the devotee worships with understanding, and Śiva responds with greater affection and grace.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa states a doctrinal point within the Drona Parva context: he describes the merit of liṅga-worship performed with the knowledge that the divine is the origin of all existence, emphasizing Śiva’s special favor toward such a worshipper.