Shloka 17

देवादिसृष्टिकथनम् (वसिष्ठशोकः, पराशरजन्म, एकलिङ्गपूजा, रुद्रदर्शनम्)

Devanagari script

पराशर रेचितेस् वेदिच् ह्य्म्न्स् अस् अन् एम्ब्र्यो अथ नाभ्यंबुजे विष्णोर् यथा तस्याश्चतुर्मुखः आसीनो गर्भशय्यायां कुमार ऋचमाह सः

Transliteration

Parāśara recites Vedic hymns as an embryo atha nābhyaṃbuje viṣṇor yathā tasyāścaturmukhaḥ āsīno garbhaśayyāyāṃ kumāra ṛcamāha saḥ

Translation

Même encore dans le sein maternel, Parāśara proféra des hymnes védiques. De même que Brahmā aux quatre visages, assis sur le lotus né du nombril de Viṣṇu, énonça les versets sacrés ṛk depuis son propre repos « semblable à un ventre », ainsi l’enfant-sage proclama les mantras — montrant que la connaissance des mantras (mantra-jñāna) surgit par la grâce divine et par les saṃskāra antérieurs, et, en dernier ressort, sous la seigneurie de Pati (Śiva) qui confère force à toute révélation.

Word by Word

• पराशरः: Parāśara (the sage)

• वेदिकान्: Vedic

• ह्य्म्नान्/स्तोत्रान्: hymns

• गर्भे/एम्ब्र्यो: in the womb, as an embryo

• अथ: then/indeed

• नाभ्यंबुजे: in the lotus from the navel

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu

• यथा: just as

• तस्य: of him/there

• चतुर्मुखः: four-faced (Brahmā)

• आसीनः: seated

• गर्भशय्यायाम्: on a womb-like couch/resting place

• कुमारः: the child/sage-child

• ऋचम्: Ṛk-verse (Rigvedic mantra)

• आह: spoke/uttered

• सः: he.

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Parashara
• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes that sacred knowledge (mantra and ṛk) can manifest by divine empowerment and prior saṃskāra; in Shaiva framing, such revelation is ultimately enabled by Pati—Śiva—whose grace makes worship, mantra, and realization effective.

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

Though Śiva is not directly speaking, the verse implies a Shaiva Siddhānta principle: all cognition and mantra-shakti arise through the supreme Lord’s enabling power—Pati as the inner governor of devas, sages, and the Veda itself.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-ucchāra (Vedic recitation) as a sign of advanced saṃskāra; in Pāśupata-oriented practice this points to mantra-japa and disciplined remembrance as the means by which the pashu’s awareness turns toward Pati.