Shloka 8

Devanagari script

उद्वाहः शङ्करस्येति जग्मुः सर्वा मुदान्विताः उरगा गरुडा यक्षा गन्धर्वाः किन्नरा गणाः

Transliteration

udvāhaḥ śaṅkarasyeti jagmuḥ sarvā mudānvitāḥ uragā garuḍā yakṣā gandharvāḥ kinnarā gaṇāḥ

Translation

“ഇത് ശങ്കരന്റെ വിവാഹം” എന്നു കേട്ടതോടെ എല്ലാവരും ആനന്ദത്തോടെ പുറപ്പെട്ടു—ഉരഗങ്ങൾ (നാഗങ്ങൾ), ഗരുഡന്മാർ, യക്ഷർ, ഗന്ധർവർ, കിന്നരർ, ഗണസമൂഹങ്ങൾ।

Word by Word

• उद्वाहः: wedding/nuptial rite

• शङ्करस्य: of Śaṅkara (Śiva as the auspicious Lord)

• इति: thus/so (as the announcement)

• जग्मुः: they went/they set out

• सर्वाः: all (of them)

• मुदान्विताः: endowed with joy/rejoicing

• उरगाः: serpents/nāgas

• गरुडाः: Garuḍas (eagle-like divine beings)

• यक्षाः: Yakṣas (guardian/nature-wealth beings)

• गन्धर्वाः: Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

• किन्नराः: Kinnaras (celestial semi-divine beings)

• गणाः: gaṇas/hosts (Śiva’s attendant troops)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Shankara)
• Ganas
• Yakshas
• Gandharvas
• Kinnaras
• Nagas (Uraga)
• Garudas

FAQs

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

It shows Śiva as Pati (the supreme Lord) whose auspicious acts draw all classes of beings into harmony; Linga worship mirrors this by uniting diverse pashus (souls) toward one center of devotion—Mahādeva.

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

Śiva-tattva is presented as universally magnetic and auspicious (Śaṅkara): even celestial and semi-celestial orders rejoice and move toward him, implying his lordship beyond limited worlds and categories.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse primarily highlights the auspicious saṃskāra motif (udvāha) as a cosmic rite; for a practitioner, it supports bhakti-centered Shiva-pūjā where the mind ‘moves toward Śiva’ with mudā (joy), a key disposition in Pāśupata-oriented devotion.