Shloka 31
यक्षेश्वरावतारः (Yakṣeśvara-Avatāra) and the Nīlakaṇṭha Paradigm in the Churning of the Ocean
कर्ता हर्त्ता तथा भर्त्ताऽयमेव परमेश्वरः । एतद्बलेन वलिनो जीवाः सर्वेऽन्यथा न हि
kartā harttā tathā bharttā'yameva parameśvaraḥ | etadbalena valino jīvāḥ sarve'nyathā na hi
He alone—the Supreme Lord (Parameśvara)—is the doer, the withdrawer, and the sustainer. By His power alone all embodied beings become capable; it cannot be otherwise.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
It establishes Parameśvara (Shiva) as the ultimate source of action, dissolution, and sustenance, teaching that the jīva’s power and capacity arise only through Shiva’s śakti—supporting humility, surrender, and reliance on divine grace for liberation.
Linga worship centers the devotee on Shiva as the all-in-all Lord behind creation, maintenance, and withdrawal; contemplating the Linga as Parameśvara helps shift the sense of doership from the ego to Shiva, deepening Saguna devotion and leading toward realization of the Supreme.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with bhāva of surrender—offering one’s actions to Shiva as the true kartā—supported by simple Linga-pūjā (water/abhisheka) and remembrance that all strength comes from Him.