Shloka 21

Adhyaya 22 — शिवानुग्रहः, ब्रह्मतपः, एकादशरुद्राः तथा प्राणतत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

अहो धिक् तपसो मह्यं फलमीदृशकं यदि लोकवैनाशिकी जज्ञे आदावेव प्रजा मम

Transliteration

aho dhik tapaso mahyaṃ phalamīdṛśakaṃ yadi lokavaināśikī jajñe ādāveva prajā mama

Translation

അയ്യോ, എന്റെ തപസ്സിന് ധിക്കാരം; അതിന്റെ ഫലം ഇത്തരമെങ്കിൽ—എന്റെ പ്രജകൾ ആദ്യം തന്നേ ലോകനാശിനിയായി ജനിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अहो: alas/oh!

• धिक्: shame/fie!

• तपसः: of austerity/penance

• मह्यम्: for me/to me

• फलम्: fruit/result

• ईदृशकम्: such/like this

• यदि: if

• लोक-वैनाशिकी: world-destroying/causing the ruin of the worlds

• जज्ञे: was born/has arisen

• आदौ एव: at the very beginning itself

• प्रजा: progeny/creatures/offspring

• मम: my

Speaker

Brahma (within Suta’s narration to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Prajā

FAQs

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

It highlights that mere tapas can yield perilous outcomes when not aligned with Pati (Shiva); Linga-worship is implied as the stabilizing recourse that restores dharma and cosmic order.

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

By contrast: creation without the governance of Pati leads to lokavaināśa (world-ruin). Shiva-tattva is the regulating, purifying principle that turns chaotic emergence into auspicious manifestation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds tapas and its karma-phala; the Shaiva takeaway is to yoke austerity to Pashupata discipline—purification of the pashu and loosening of pasha through Shiva-oriented sadhana.