Shloka 165

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

स्वप्ने दृष्टं यत्पदार्थं ह्यलक्ष्यं दृष्टं नूनं भाति मन्ये न चापि मूर्तिर्नो वै दैवकीशान देवैर् लक्ष्या यत्नैरप्यलक्ष्यं कथं तु

Transliteration

svapne dṛṣṭaṃ yatpadārthaṃ hyalakṣyaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ nūnaṃ bhāti manye na cāpi mūrtirno vai daivakīśāna devair lakṣyā yatnairapyalakṣyaṃ kathaṃ tu

Translation

Ce « objet » que l’on voit en rêve est, en vérité, insaisissable ; bien qu’il soit vu, il ne fait que paraître briller, me semble-t-il, et pourtant il n’a point de forme tangible. De même, ô Seigneur des Devas, le Divin n’est pas un objet que les dieux puissent percevoir ; même au prix d’efforts ardents, Il demeure au-delà de tout signe : comment donc pourrait-Il être pleinement connu ?

Word by Word

• स्वप्ने (svapne): in a dream

• दृष्टम् (dṛṣṭam): seen

• यत् (yat): which

• पदार्थम् (padārtham): object/thing as an experienced content

• हि (hi): indeed

• अलक्ष्यम् (alakṣyam): imperceptible, beyond marks

• नूनम् (nūnam): certainly

• भाति (bhāti): appears, shines

• मन्ये (manye): I think

• न (na): not

• च (ca): and

• अपि (api): even

• मूर्तिः (mūrtiḥ): concrete form

• नो (no): indeed/not (emphatic particle in context)

• वै (vai): verily

• दैवकीशान (daivakīśāna): O Lord of the Devas

• देवैः (devaiḥ): by the gods

• लक्ष्या (lakṣyā): perceivable/definable as a target

• यत्नैः (yatnaiḥ): by efforts

• अपि (api): even

• अलक्ष्यम् (alakṣyam): unperceivable

• कथम् (katham): how

• तु (tu): then/however

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating an internal address to the Lord of the Devas within the Adhyaya’s dialogue)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga as a sacred ‘mark’ (liṅga) that points to Shiva who is ultimately alakṣya—beyond sensory capture—so worship is directed to the Pati through symbol, mantra, and inner realization rather than treating Him as a limited object.

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

Shiva is presented as beyond perceptual definition: like a dream-object that seems vivid yet lacks graspable substance, Shiva-tattva transcends form and conceptual targeting; He is known not by mere effort of the senses but through higher knowledge and divine grace.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implies Pashupata-oriented inwardness: withdrawing from appearances (dream-like cognition), stabilizing awareness, and approaching Shiva through dhyāna on the Linga and mantra-japa—seeking direct insight rather than external ‘object-perception’ alone.