Shloka 45

दारुवनलीला—नीललोहितपरीक्षा, ब्रह्मोपदेशः, अतिथिधर्मः, संन्यासक्रमः

Devanagari script

अन्यथा नास्ति संतर्तुं गृहस्थैश् च द्विजोत्तमैः त्यक्त्वा चातिथिपूजां ताम् आत्मनो भुवि शोधनम्

Transliteration

anyathā nāsti saṃtartuṃ gṛhasthaiś ca dvijottamaiḥ tyaktvā cātithipūjāṃ tām ātmano bhuvi śodhanam

Translation

Pour les maîtres de maison—et surtout pour les plus éminents des deux-fois-nés—il n’est pas d’autre moyen de traverser en sûreté. Abandonner ce culte de l’hôte (atithi-pūjā), en ce monde, c’est souiller son propre être.

Word by Word

• anyathā: otherwise

• na asti: there is not

• saṃtartuṃ: to cross over, pass beyond (saṃsāra)

• gṛhasthaiḥ: by householders

• ca: and

• dvijottamaiḥ: by the best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇa-ādi)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned, forsaken

• ca: and

• atithi-pūjām: honoring/worship of the guest

• tām: that (practice)

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself, one’s own self

• bhuvi: on earth, in this world

• śodhanam: cleansing/purification (used here in the sense of moral purification

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating dharma-teachings within the Linga Purana discourse to the sages at Naimisharanya)

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga-oriented life in dharmic purity: for a householder, honoring guests is treated as a necessary purifier of karma, supporting eligibility (adhikāra) for Shiva-puja and for crossing saṃsāra.

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

Indirectly: Shiva as Pati is approached not only by ritual but by inner and outer śuddhi; neglecting dharma increases pasha (bondage), while purification supports the soul’s (pashu’s) turning toward Shiva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Atithi-pūjā (guest-honoring) as a daily grihastha discipline that purifies conduct and karma—an ethical foundation that complements Shaiva sādhanā and prepares the mind for worship and yoga.