Shloka 6
शारभावतारवर्णनम्
Account of Śiva’s Śārabha Manifestation and the Measureless Avatāras
आकाशस्य च ताराणां रेणुकानां क्षितेस्तथा । आसाराणां च वृद्धेन बहुकल्पैः कदापि हि
ākāśasya ca tārāṇāṃ reṇukānāṃ kṣitestathā | āsārāṇāṃ ca vṛddhena bahukalpaiḥ kadāpi hi
“Even if one were to grow old counting—through many kalpas—the stars in the sky, the dust-particles of the earth, and the countless streams of rain, one would still never reach their end.”
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
FAQs
It teaches the mind to abandon pride in measurement and intellect: even vast cosmic quantities are effectively uncountable, pointing to the still greater truth that Shiva (Pati) is beyond all limits and enumeration.
The Linga signifies the limitless—Shiva who transcends form and number. By showing the uncountable scale of creation, the verse prepares the devotee to approach Saguna worship (Linga, mantra, puja) as a doorway to the Nirguna, immeasurable reality.
Practice japa of the Panchakshara mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with contemplation on infinity—letting each repetition dissolve the urge to control or quantify—and offer Tripuṇḍra/bhasma as a reminder of the finitude of all countable things.