Shloka 3
दक्षयज्ञे मुनिदेवसमागमः / The Gathering of Sages and Gods at Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
अगस्त्यः कश्यपोत्रिश्च वामदेवस्तथा भृगुः । दधीचिर्भगवान् व्यासो भारद्वाजोऽथ गौतमः
agastyaḥ kaśyapotriśca vāmadevastathā bhṛguḥ | dadhīcirbhagavān vyāso bhāradvājo'tha gautamaḥ
Agastya, Kaśyapa, Utri, Vāmadeva, and Bhṛgu; the venerable Dadhīci, Bhagavān Vyāsa, Bhāradvāja, and also Gautama—these great seers were present, remembered among the exalted knowers of dharma devoted to Śiva.
Sūta Gosvāmī
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: A catalog of eminent ṛṣis functions as a dharma-credentialing frame for the yajña narrative; their presence heightens the later theological point that mere ritual authority without Śiva-alignment is incomplete.
Significance: Remembrance of the ṛṣi-lineage is treated as śravaṇa-smaraṇa that strengthens dharma and devotion, especially when read as a cautionary prelude to the Dakṣa episode.
FAQs
The verse sanctifies the narrative by invoking a lineage of ṛṣis—exemplars of tapas, dharma, and Śiva-bhakti—showing that Shaiva revelation is preserved through realized seers and authentic transmission.
By naming revered sages, the text highlights that Saguna Śiva worship (including Liṅga-upāsanā) is upheld by authoritative ṛṣi-traditions; devotion is not mere sentiment but a disciplined, scripture-rooted path guided by realized teachers.
A practical takeaway is remembrance and invocation of guru–ṛṣi lineage before worship—beginning Liṅga-pūjā with mental salutations to ṛṣis, then steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with purity and restraint.