Shloka 61

अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना

Devanagari script

मासे मासे ऽश्वमेधेन यो यजेत शतं समाः तेन यत्प्राप्यते पुण्यं मात्रया तदवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

māse māse 'śvamedhena yo yajeta śataṃ samāḥ tena yatprāpyate puṇyaṃ mātrayā tadavāpnuyāt

Translation

Le mérite qu’obtient celui qui accomplit le sacrifice de l’Aśvamedha, mois après mois, durant cent ans—ce même mérite est atteint par une seule mātrā de cet acte de dévotion śaiva, tant en est la puissance.

Word by Word

• māse māse: month after month

• aśvamedhena: by the Aśvamedha sacrifice

• yaḥ: who

• yajeta: would perform/worship

• śatam: one hundred

• samāḥ: years

• tena: by that (act)

• yat: whatever

• prāpyate: is obtained

• puṇyam: merit, sacred virtue

• mātrayā: by a mere measure/portion

• tat: that

• avāpnuyāt: one would attain

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches the puṇya-taratamya (hierarchy of merits): even a small measure of Śaiva devotion associated with the Linga can equal the merit of vast Vedic sacrifices, emphasizing Śiva’s grace over sheer ritual magnitude.

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

Śiva-tattva is implied as Pati (the Lord) whose anugraha (grace) makes liberation-oriented merit accessible to the pashu (bound soul) without dependence on extreme, resource-heavy rites—devotion becomes a direct channel to His saving power.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A Śaiva practice (implied Linga-pūjā/Śiva-bhakti with offering, japa, or observance) is praised as yielding extraordinary fruit, aligning with Pāśupata spirit: inner devotion and surrender surpass external ritual scale.