Aditi’s Progeny and the Twelve Ādityas
Manvantara Genealogy
ऐलापुत्रस्तथा पद्मः कर्कोटकधनंजयौ । महानीलमहाकर्णौ धृतराष्ट्रो बलाहकः
ailāputrastathā padmaḥ karkoṭakadhanaṃjayau | mahānīlamahākarṇau dhṛtarāṣṭro balāhakaḥ
Ailāputra y Padma; Karkoṭaka y Dhanañjaya; Mahānīla y Mahākarṇa; y también Dhṛtarāṣṭra y Balāhaka: tales son las serpientes nombradas, célebres en el relato sagrado.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
By naming the Nāgas, the text situates all powerful beings—whether celestial, serpentine, or earthly—within Shiva’s cosmic order, implying that every class of life is ultimately under Pati (Lord Shiva), the supreme Lord who governs and liberates.
Even when the verse is a catalogue of beings, it supports Saguna Shiva devotion by showing that distinct forms and hosts in creation are acknowledged and harmonized under Shiva’s sovereignty—an outlook that culminates in Linga worship as the unifying sacred focus.
A practical takeaway is protective japa of the Panchākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—remembering Shiva as the Lord beyond fear and poison, along with simple Shaiva observances like vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and devotional remembrance.