Shloka 96

अध्याय ८२ — व्यपोहनस्तवः (पापव्यपोहन-स्तोत्रम्)

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माणी चैव माहेशी कौमारी वैष्णवी तथा वाराही चैव माहेन्द्री चामुण्डाग्नेयिका तथा

Transliteration

brahmāṇī caiva māheśī kaumārī vaiṣṇavī tathā vārāhī caiva māhendrī cāmuṇḍāgneyikā tathā

Translation

Et (les Mères) Brahmāṇī, Māheśī, Kaumārī et Vaiṣṇavī; de même Vārāhī et Māhendrī; ainsi que Cāmuṇḍā et Āgneyikā : ces Śakti sont énumérées comme puissances divines dans le récit sacré.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्माणी (brahmāṇī): the Shakti of Brahmā

• चैव (caiva): and indeed/also

• माहेशी (māheśī): the Shakti of Maheśa (Śiva)

• कौमारी (kaumārī): the Shakti of Kumāra/Skanda

• वैष्णवी (vaiṣṇavī): the Shakti of Viṣṇu

• तथा (tathā): likewise

• वाराही (vārāhī): the Shakti of Varāha

• चैव (caiva): and also

• माहेन्द्री (māhendrī): the Shakti of Mahendra (Indra)

• चामुण्डा (cāmuṇḍā): the fierce Mother (slayer of Caṇḍa–Muṇḍa)

• आग्नेयिका (āgneyikā): the Shakti of Agni

• तथा (tathā): and likewise/also

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmani
• Maheshi
• Kaumari
• Vaishnavi
• Varahi
• Mahendri
• Chamunda
• Agneyika
• Shiva
• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Indra
• Agni
• Skanda

FAQs

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

It lists key Matrka-Shaktis understood as Śiva’s operative powers (śakti) that protect and empower the sādhaka; in Linga-pūjā they signify that worship of Pati (Śiva) is inseparable from honoring His Shakti, which removes pāśa (bondage) from the paśu (soul).

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

By placing Māheśī among the Mothers and aligning other deities’ powers as Shaktis, it implies a Shaiva view where divine functions manifest through Śiva’s śakti—Śiva as Pati remains the transcendent ground, while Shakti expresses governance, protection, and transformation in the cosmos.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A practical takeaway is Matrka-smaraṇa (remembrance/recitation of the Mothers) as an aṅga of protective worship alongside Linga-pūjā; in Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā it supports śuddhi (purification) and anugraha (grace) conducive to loosening pāśa.