Shloka 26

Adhyaya 49: जम्बूद्वीप-मेर्वादि-वर्षपर्वत-वन-सरः-रुद्रक्षेत्र-वर्णनम्

Devanagari script

तस्य पादास्तु चत्वारश् चतुर्दिक्षु नगोत्तमाः यैर्विष्टब्धा न चलति सप्तद्वीपवती मही

Transliteration

tasya pādāstu catvāraś caturdikṣu nagottamāḥ yairviṣṭabdhā na calati saptadvīpavatī mahī

Translation

Sus cuatro pies se yerguen como montes supremos en las cuatro direcciones; sostenida por ellos, la Tierra—portadora de los siete continentes—no tiembla ni se mueve.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that (cosmic being or principle)

• पादाः: feet/supports

• तु: indeed

• चत्वारः: four

• चतुर्दिक्षु: in the four directions

• नगोत्तमाः: the greatest of mountains

• यैः: by which

• विष्टब्धा: firmly propped up/supported

• न: not

• चलति: moves/trembles

• सप्तद्वीपवती: possessing the seven dvīpas (continents)

• मही: the Earth

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Mahī)
• Mountains (Nagottamāḥ)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames the Lord as the cosmic ādhāra (support): just as the Earth is steadied by the four directional supports, the Linga signifies Shiva as Pati—the unmoving foundation upon which all worlds and beings rest.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva-tattva is implied as the stabilizing, unshaken Reality that upholds manifestation. The “four feet” imagery points to an ordered, directional support—symbolizing the Lord’s governance of the cosmos without Himself being subject to movement or decay.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A dhāraṇā-oriented insight: cultivate inner steadiness like the supported Earth. In Pāśupata-oriented practice, the sādhaka contemplates Shiva as the unmovable support, loosening pāśa (bondage) that causes mental ‘trembling’ in the paśu (soul).