Shloka 1

योगान्तरायाः, औपसर्गिकसिद्धयः, परवैराग्येन शैवप्रसादः

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच आलस्यं प्रथमं पश्चाद् व्याधिपीडा प्रजायते प्रमादः संशयस्थाने चित्तस्येहानवस्थितिः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca ālasyaṃ prathamaṃ paścād vyādhipīḍā prajāyate pramādaḥ saṃśayasthāne cittasyehānavasthitiḥ

Translation

ಸೂತನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಮೊದಲು ಆಲಸ್ಯ ಉಂಟಾಗುತ್ತದೆ; ನಂತರ ರೋಗಪೀಡೆ ಜನ್ಮಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಮೇಲೆ ಪ್ರಮಾದ ಬರುತ್ತದೆ; ಸಂಶಯವು ನೆಲೆಸಿದಾಗ ಧರ್ಮಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲೂ ಶಿವಪ್ರಾಪ್ತಿಯ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದಲ್ಲೂ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಸ್ಥಿರವಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• sūta uvāca: Sūta said

• ālasyaṁ: laziness, inertia

• prathamaṁ: first

• paścāt: afterward

• vyādhi-pīḍā: torment/affliction by illness

• prajāyate: is produced, arises

• pramādaḥ: negligence, heedlessness

• saṁśaya-sthāne: in the state/place of doubt

• cittasya: of the mind

• iha: here (in this discipline/path)

• anavasthitiḥ: instability, non-abidance, lack of steadiness

Speaker

Suta Goswami

FAQs

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

It identifies inner obstacles—laziness, illness, heedlessness, and doubt—that destabilize the practitioner, weakening daily Linga-pūjā, japa, and niyama required for steady Śiva-upāsanā.

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

By implication, Śiva (Pati) is the stable refuge and goal; the paśu’s problem is not Śiva’s absence but the mind’s instability caused by pāśa-like obstructions such as pramāda and saṁśaya.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mind-discipline foundational to Pāśupata-oriented sādhana: maintaining steadiness (citta-sthairya) through regular practice so that doubt and negligence do not interrupt worship and yogic pursuit.