Shloka 81

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

नाचरेद्देहबाधायां दौर्मनस्यादिसम्भवे सुगुप्ते तु शुभे रम्ये गुहायां पर्वतस्य तु

Transliteration

nācareddehabādhāyāṃ daurmanasyādisambhave sugupte tu śubhe ramye guhāyāṃ parvatasya tu

Translation

身を害し、また憂いなどの乱れを生じさせる場所で、苦行や修行を行ってはならない。むしろ、よく隠れた吉祥で麗しい山の洞窟において修すべし――パティ（シヴァ）への堅固な観想に適い、パシュ（魂）を縛るパーシャ（束縛）をゆるめるための処である。

Word by Word

• na: not

• ācaret: one should practice/undertake

• deha-bādhāyām: where there is bodily affliction/injury

• daurmanasya-ādi-sambhave: where dejection (daurmanasya) and similar (ādi) disturbances arise

• su-guptे: well-hidden, well-protected

• tu: indeed

• śubhe: auspicious

• ramye: pleasant, delightful

• guhāyām: in a cave

• parvatasya: of a mountain

• tu: and/indeed

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana’s teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes the prerequisite environment for effective linga-upāsanā: practice should be done where the body and mind remain steady—secluded, auspicious, and undisturbed—so devotion and concentration can mature.

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

By implication it frames Śiva as Pati, realized through stable contemplation; when the paśu (individual soul) practices in the right conditions, the pāśa (bondage) weakens and the soul becomes fit for Śiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights the yogic discipline of choosing a proper deśa (place) for tapas and dhyāna—favoring a protected, quiet cave-like retreat that supports Pāśupata-style steadiness and inward worship.