Shloka 85

अध्याय ८२ — व्यपोहनस्तवः (पापव्यपोहन-स्तोत्रम्)

Devanagari script

वडवानलशत्रुर्यो वडवामुखभेदनः चतुष्पादसमायुक्तः क्षीरोद इव पाण्डुरः

Transliteration

vaḍavānalaśatruryo vaḍavāmukhabhedanaḥ catuṣpādasamāyuktaḥ kṣīroda iva pāṇḍuraḥ

Translation

Il est l’adversaire du feu sous-marin (Vaḍavānala) et celui qui fend la flamme au visage de jument; pourvu de quatre pieds, il resplendit, pâle et pur, tel l’Océan de Lait. Ainsi est loué le Seigneur (Pati), dont la puissance dompte les feux de la dissolution et affermit les mondes pour le paśu lié.

Word by Word

• वडवानल (vaḍavānala): submarine fire, the Mare-headed fire

• शत्रुः (śatruḥ): enemy, subduer

• यः (yaḥ): who

• वडवामुख (vaḍavāmukha): mare-faced (submarine fire)

• भेदनः (bhedanaḥ): splitter, piercer, cleaver

• चतुष्पाद (catuṣpāda): four-footed, having four supports/quarters

• समायुक्तः (samāyuktaḥ): endowed with, united with

• क्षीरोद (kṣīroda): the Ocean of Milk

• इव (iva): like

• पाण्डुरः (pāṇḍuraḥ): pale-white, luminous

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a stuti/epithet sequence within the Linga Purana’s Shaiva praise-context)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva as the supreme stabilizing Pati who restrains destructive cosmic forces (like the Vaḍavānala), reinforcing why the Linga is worshipped as the steady axis of creation, preservation, and dissolution.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as sovereign mastery over dissolution-fire and as radiant purity (likened to the Kṣīroda), indicating the Lord’s transcendent power that frees the paśu from pasha by granting steadiness and clarity.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports contemplative japa/dhyāna on Shiva’s epithets (nāma-smaraṇa) as a Pāśupata-oriented practice—meditating on Pati’s power to burn bondage while remaining cool, pure, and luminous like the Milk Ocean.