शाखासु च सुतृप्तासु मूलं तृप्तं न कर्हिचित् । एवं सर्वेषु तृप्तेषु सुरेषु मुनिसत्तमाः
śākhāsu ca sutṛptāsu mūlaṃ tṛptaṃ na karhicit | evaṃ sarveṣu tṛpteṣu sureṣu munisattamāḥ
Quand bien même les branches seraient pleinement rassasiées, la racine n’en est jamais rassasiée pour autant. De même, ô sages éminents, quand tous les dieux seraient satisfaits, la Racine suprême—Śiva—n’a pas nécessairement été adorée.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Negative counterpart of the root-branches analogy: satisfying subsidiary deities does not necessarily reach the Supreme Root; warns against mistaking partial worship for ultimate propitiation.
Significance: Directs pilgrims from peripheral merit to the central aim: Śiva-upāsanā as the sure path to the highest fruit.
The verse teaches a Shaiva Siddhanta principle: Śiva (Pati) is the root-cause and inner support of all divine functions. Pleasing subsidiary powers (the ‘branches’) does not automatically amount to realizing or honoring the Supreme Root, who alone grants ultimate liberation.
The Liṅga signifies Śiva as the foundational Reality behind all forms. This verse implies that while devatā-worship may yield limited fruits, Liṅga-worship (Saguna Śiva as the accessible focus of devotion) directly addresses the Root and aligns the devotee toward Śiva’s grace.
Prioritize Śiva-upāsanā: daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Liṅga-pūjā and sincere bhakti, treating other devatās as Śiva’s dependent powers rather than the final refuge.