Shloka 12
Vyāsotpatti-kathana
Account of the Birth/Origin of Vyāsa
वसिष्ठस्य कुले रम्ये त्वं जातोऽसि महामते । निषादजा त्वहम्ब्रह्मन्कथं संगो घटेत नौ
vasiṣṭhasya kule ramye tvaṃ jāto'si mahāmate | niṣādajā tvahambrahmankathaṃ saṃgo ghaṭeta nau
Wahai yang berhati agung, engkau lahir dalam garis keturunan Vasiṣṭha yang elok. Namun, wahai brāhmaṇa, aku lahir dari perempuan Niṣāda—bagaimana mungkin pergaulan atau persatuan di antara kita menjadi pantas?
A woman of Niṣāda origin (speaking to a Brahmin born in Vasiṣṭha’s lineage)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It highlights worldly identity (birth and social status) as a barrier the mind creates, pointing toward the Shaiva insight that true worth is measured by devotion, conduct, and inner purity rather than origin.
In Linga-worship and Saguna Shiva devotion, the Purana repeatedly stresses bhakti and surrender as primary; this verse sets up the contrast between social hesitation and the universal accessibility of Shiva’s grace.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate equal-minded devotion through japa of the Panchakshara mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and inner purification, rather than fixation on external distinctions.