Shloka 3

नन्दिकेश्वरोत्पत्तिः — Nandikesvara’s Origin, Shiva’s Boons, and the Rise of Sacred Rivers

Devanagari script

नष्टा चैव स्मृतिर्दिव्या येन केनापि कारणात् मानुष्यमास्थितं दृष्ट्वा पिता मे लोकपूजितः

Transliteration

naṣṭā caiva smṛtirdivyā yena kenāpi kāraṇāt mānuṣyamāsthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā pitā me lokapūjitaḥ

Translation

Pour quelque raison, ma mémoire divine s’évanouit. Me voyant prendre une condition humaine, mon père—vénéré par les mondes—s’en alarma et demeura songeur.

Word by Word

• नष्टा: lost

• च एव: and indeed

• स्मृतिः: memory, recollection

• दिव्या: divine, celestial

• येन केनापि: by some (unknown) means/whatever

• कारणात्: due to a cause

• मानुष्यम्: human state/condition

• आस्थितम्: assumed, entered into

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen

• पिता: father

• मे: my

• लोकपूजितः: worshipped/revered by the worlds

Speaker

Suta Goswami (outer narrator; internal speaker unspecified in this isolated verse)

FAQs

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

It frames the core Shaiva problem: the jīva (Pashu) forgets its divine orientation due to causes (karma and bondage), and therefore needs Shiva’s grace (Pati) accessed through devotion and worship—classically centered on the Linga.

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

Indirectly, it highlights Shiva-tattva as the restoring principle: when divine memory is lost and the soul falls into a limited human state, liberation requires the reawakening of true knowledge—traditionally accomplished by Shiva’s anugraha (grace) and right means (upāya).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to the need for practices that restore smṛti and discernment—such as Pashupata-oriented discipline, mantra-japa, and Linga-puja—aimed at loosening Pāśa (bondage) and turning the Pashu toward Pati.