Shloka 26

Harīśvara-liṅga Mahimā and the Origin-Context of Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana (हरिश्वरलिङ्गमहिमा तथा सुदर्शनप्राप्तिकथा)

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । वाच्यं किं मे त्वदग्रे वै ह्यन्तर्यामी त्वमास्थितः । तथापि कथ्यते नाथ तव शासनगौरवात्

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | vācyaṃ kiṃ me tvadagre vai hyantaryāmī tvamāsthitaḥ | tathāpi kathyate nātha tava śāsanagauravāt

Translation

Viṣṇu said: “What can I possibly say before You, when You Yourself abide as the Inner Ruler within all? Yet, O Lord, I still speak—out of reverence for the majesty of Your command.”

Word by Word

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• vācyaṃ: to be said / sayable
• vācyaṃ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac + ya (धातु + कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्/य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• me: my / to me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen/Dat), एकवचन; enclitic

• tvad-agre: before you / in your presence
• tvad-agre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक) + agre (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; 'त्वत्' + 'अग्रे' = 'in your presence/before you' (adverbial locative sense)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; emphatic

• hi: for / indeed
• hi: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; causal/emphatic

• antaryāmī: the inner controller (indweller)
• antaryāmī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antar + yāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अन्तर् + यामी); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• āsthitaḥ: are seated/established
• āsthitaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; 'स्थित/आस्थित' = seated/established

• tathā-api: even so / nevertheless
• tathā-api: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; concessive 'even so/however'

• kathyate: is said / is being stated
• kathyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• nātha: O Lord
• nātha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• śāsana-gauravāt: because of the weight/authority of (your) command
• śāsana-gauravāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक) + gaurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (गौरवम्), पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ पञ्चमी (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Vishnu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

The verse expresses bhakti-filled humility: even Viṣṇu acknowledges Śiva as Antaryāmī (the indwelling Lord), implying that all knowledge and speech arise within Śiva’s presence; speaking becomes an act of obedience and reverence to Pati (the Supreme Lord).

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Calling Śiva the Antaryāmī points to His nirguṇa transcendence, while addressing Him as “Nātha” supports saguna devotion; Linga-worship harmonizes both—worshipping the visible sign while contemplating the indwelling, all-pervading Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is inner recollection (smaraṇa) of Śiva as Antaryāmī while chanting the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—so that speech and action are offered as obedience to Śiva’s śāsana (divine ordinance).