Shloka 51
शौनक उवाच । अंगुष्ठाद्ब्रह्मणो जज्ञे दक्षश्चोक्तस्त्वया पुरा । कथं प्राचेतसत्वं हि पुनर्लेभे महातपाः
śaunaka uvāca | aṃguṣṭhādbrahmaṇo jajñe dakṣaścoktastvayā purā | kathaṃ prācetasatvaṃ hi punarlebhe mahātapāḥ
Śaunaka berkata: “Engkau telah mengatakan sebelumnya bahwa Dakṣa lahir dari ibu jari Brahmā. Lalu bagaimana pertapa agung itu kembali memperoleh keadaan sebagai Prācetasa (putra para Pracetas)?”
Śaunaka (addressing Sūta Gosvāmin in the Naimiṣāraṇya dialogue frame)
Tattva Level: pashu
Cosmic Event: kalpa-wise recurrence implied by the question on repeated births/lineages
FAQs
It highlights a Purāṇic principle: the same jīva may assume different births and lineages according to karma and divine ordinance. From a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such shifting identities underscore bondage (pāśa) and the need for grace and right devotion to Pati (Śiva) for liberation.
Though the verse is genealogical, its deeper thrust supports devotion to Saguna Śiva (worshipped as the Liṅga) as the stabilizing refuge beyond changing births and statuses. Lineage and worldly rank fluctuate, but surrender to Śiva and dharmic conduct lead toward purification and spiritual clarity.
No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; the practical takeaway is to cultivate tapas and Śiva-bhakti—commonly expressed in the Shiva Purana through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and steady worship of the Śiva-liṅga with purity and humility.