Shloka 23

विनायकोत्पत्तिः / ताण्डव-प्रसङ्गः (दारुक-वधः, काली-उत्पत्तिः, क्षेत्रपालोत्पत्तिः)

Devanagari script

स्तनजेन तदा सार्धं कोपमस्याः पपौ पुनः क्रोधेनानेन वै बालः क्षेत्राणां रक्षको ऽभवत्

Transliteration

stanajena tadā sārdhaṃ kopamasyāḥ papau punaḥ krodhenānena vai bālaḥ kṣetrāṇāṃ rakṣako 'bhavat

Translation

तब उसने स्तन्य के साथ-साथ उसका क्रोध भी फिर पी लिया। उसी क्रोध-शक्ति से वह बालक पवित्र क्षेत्रों का रक्षक—क्षेत्रपाल—बन गया।

Word by Word

• स्तनजेन (stanajena): with breast-milk

• तदा (tadā): then

• सार्धम् (sārdham): together with

• कोपम् (kopam): anger

• अस्याः (asyāḥ): of her

• पपौ (papau): drank/absorbed

• पुनः (punaḥ): again

• क्रोधेन (krodhena): by/through wrath

• अनेन (anena): by this/with this

• वै (vai): indeed

• बालः (bālaḥ): the child

• क्षेत्राणाम् (kṣetrāṇām): of the fields/sacred precincts

• रक्षकः (rakṣakaḥ): protector/guard

• अभवत् (abhavat): became

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

FAQs

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

It explains the emergence of a kṣetrapāla—an empowered guardian of Śiva’s sacred precinct—highlighting that protecting the linga-kṣetra is itself part of sustaining dharma around Linga worship.

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

By implying the conversion of a fierce force into ordered guardianship, it reflects Śiva-tattva as Pati: the Lord who can harness even intense energies (like krodha) into a protective, dharma-aligned function for the benefit of pashus.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to kṣetra-rakṣaṇa—sanctifying and protecting the worship-space—often expressed ritually through boundary-guardianship (kṣetrapāla) and yogically as redirecting reactive impulses into disciplined service aligned with Pāśupata restraint.