Shloka 24
ब्रह्माण्डदान-प्रशंसा तथा ब्रह्माण्ड-प्रमाण-वर्णनम्
Praise of the Gift of the Cosmic Egg and Description of the Brahmāṇḍa’s Measure
उच्छ्रायो द्विगुणश्चैषां सर्वेषां रत्नभूमयः । रत्नवन्तोऽथ प्रासादा भूमयो हेमसंभवाः
ucchrāyo dviguṇaścaiṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ ratnabhūmayaḥ | ratnavanto'tha prāsādā bhūmayo hemasaṃbhavāḥ
Their height was twice as great; for all of them, even the ground itself was gem-like. Their mansions were adorned with jewels, and their floors were formed of gold.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Role: creative
FAQs
The verse depicts extraordinary celestial opulence—gem-like ground, jewel-adorned palaces, and golden floors—to indicate the merit-born splendor of higher realms; yet, from a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such grandeur remains within the sphere of experience and is not equal to liberation, which comes by the grace of Pati (Shiva) and freedom from pasha (bondage).
By portraying magnificent divine settings, the text supports Saguna contemplation—visualizing Shiva’s sacred domain—while implicitly guiding the devotee to seek the Linga’s deeper truth: Shiva as the indwelling Lord whose presence sanctifies all realms, making external splendor secondary to devotion and surrender.
Use this imagery for dhyāna (devotional visualization) before Linga-pūjā—mentally offering jewel-like purity and golden steadiness of mind to Shiva—along with steady japa of the Panchakshara mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” as the core practice.