Shloka 38

Adhyaya 23: श्वेत-लोहित-पीत-कृष्ण-विश्व-कल्पेषु रुद्रस्वरूप-गायत्री-तत्त्ववर्णनम्

Devanagari script

पादान्तं विष्णुलोकं वै कौमारं शान्तमुत्तमम् औमं माहेश्वरं चैव तस्माद्दृष्टा चतुष्पदा

Transliteration

pādāntaṃ viṣṇulokaṃ vai kaumāraṃ śāntamuttamam aumaṃ māheśvaraṃ caiva tasmāddṛṣṭā catuṣpadā

Translation

À l’achèvement du Pāda se trouve, en vérité, le monde de Viṣṇu ; au-delà s’étend la région Kaumāra, souverainement paisible et excellente. Vient ensuite le domaine d’Auma (Oṃ), puis la sphère Māheśvara, celle de Śiva. Ainsi est enseigné le Pāda en quatre parts, tel qu’il fut perçu.

Word by Word

• pādāntam: at the end/limit of the pāda (cosmic quarter/step)

• viṣṇulokam: the world/realm of Viṣṇu

• vai: indeed

• kaumāram: the Kaumāra region (connected with Kumāras/skanda-like purity)

• śāntam: peaceful, quiescent

• uttamam: supreme, excellent

• aumam: pertaining to Oṃ (praṇava-tattva)

• māheśvaram: belonging to Maheśvara (Śiva’s realm)

• caiva: and also

• tasmāt: therefore/from that

• dṛṣṭā: seen/known/declared

• catuṣpadā: fourfold pāda / having four “quarters/steps”.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Oṃ (Praṇava)

FAQs

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

It frames spiritual ascent as a graded movement through realms culminating in the Māheśvara sphere, implying that Linga-upāsanā is oriented toward realizing Pati (Śiva) beyond intermediary cosmic stations.

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

Śiva-tattva is indicated as the Māheśvara culmination—beyond tranquil intermediary regions and even the praṇava-domain—signifying Pati as the final refuge and highest ontological station.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Praṇava (Oṃ) contemplation is implied as a yogic bridge in ascent; in a Pāśupata-oriented reading, disciplined japa and inner stillness lead the paśu (soul) beyond pasha (bondage) toward the Māheśvara realization.