Shloka 20
Sagara-vaṃśa-prasavaḥ — The Birth of Sagara’s Sons and the Bhāgīratha Lineage
निषधस्य नलः पुत्रो नभाः पुत्रो नलस्य तु । नभसः पुंडरीकश्च क्षेमधन्वा ततस्मृतः
niṣadhasya nalaḥ putro nabhāḥ putro nalasya tu | nabhasaḥ puṃḍarīkaśca kṣemadhanvā tatasmṛtaḥ
Niṣadha had a son named Nala; Nala, in turn, had a son named Nabhā. From Nabhā was born Puṇḍarīka, and thereafter was born Kṣemadhanvā—thus it is remembered.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
This verse preserves sacred remembrance (smṛti) of a lineage, grounding the Purāṇic teaching that dharma is carried through generations; such genealogies provide context for later Shaiva instruction and the unfolding of karma and grace under Pati (Śiva).
Though the verse is genealogical, in the Shiva Purana such lineages often introduce the human setting in which devotion to Saguna Śiva—especially Linga-worship, vows, and temple rites—arises; it situates later narratives of worship and Shiva’s grace within history-like succession.
No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; the practical takeaway is śravaṇa and smaraṇa—reverent listening and remembrance of Purāṇic tradition—supporting bhakti that is commonly expressed through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) alongside regular Linga worship.