Shloka 73
Vyāsotpatti-kathana
Account of the Birth/Origin of Vyāsa
किं वा हिरण्यगर्भेशं किं वा श्रीमध्यमेश्वरम् । इत्यादिकोटिलिंगानां मध्येऽहं किमुपाश्रये
kiṃ vā hiraṇyagarbheśaṃ kiṃ vā śrīmadhyameśvaram | ityādikoṭiliṃgānāṃ madhye'haṃ kimupāśraye
“Should I take refuge in Hiraṇyagarbheśa, or in the auspicious Madhyameśvara? Among such countless crores of Liṅgas, which one should I rely upon and worship?”
Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma Samhita discourse to the sages; the verse voices the seeker’s doubt within the narrative)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: The seeker’s dilemma arises: among innumerable liṅgas (koti-liṅga), which should be the refuge? This is a classic kṣetra-plurality problem resolved in Śaiva Siddhānta by stressing Śiva’s one lordship and the efficacy of sincere devotion to one chosen locus (iṣṭa).
Significance: Addresses pilgrim anxiety and choice-overload; implies that taking refuge (upāśraya) in any true Śiva-liṅga with faith is sufficient, since the object is the one Śiva.
Mantra: किं वा हिरण्यगर्भेशं किं वा श्रीमध्यमेश्वरम् । इत्यादिकोटिलिंगानां मध्येऽहं किमुपाश्रये
Type: stotra
FAQs
It expresses the devotee’s sincere dilemma when faced with innumerable sacred manifestations of Shiva as the Liṅga, and points toward the Shaiva Siddhanta insight that the one Pati (Shiva) is approached through many sanctified forms—so steadiness of refuge (śaraṇāgati) matters more than anxiety over names.
The verse treats named Lingas (such as Hiraṇyagarbheśa and Madhyameśvara) as Saguna access-points to the same Shiva. It implies that while forms and kṣetras differ, the object of worship is one Lord, so a devotee may choose a particular Linga for focused devotion without denying Shiva’s all-pervading reality.
The practical takeaway is ekāgratā: choose one Shiva-Liṅga (at home or in a temple) as your steady refuge and worship with Panchākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and simple abhiṣeka, maintaining consistent devotion rather than constantly shifting among many options.