Shloka 38

Adhyaya 23: श्वेत-लोहित-पीत-कृष्ण-विश्व-कल्पेषु रुद्रस्वरूप-गायत्री-तत्त्ववर्णनम्

Devanagari script

पादान्तं विष्णुलोकं वै कौमारं शान्तमुत्तमम् औमं माहेश्वरं चैव तस्माद्दृष्टा चतुष्पदा

Transliteration

pādāntaṃ viṣṇulokaṃ vai kaumāraṃ śāntamuttamam aumaṃ māheśvaraṃ caiva tasmāddṛṣṭā catuṣpadā

Translation

പാദാന്തത്തിൽ വിഷ്ണുലോകം; അതിന് ശേഷം പരമശാന്തവും ഉത്തമവും ആയ കൗമാരപ്രദേശം. പിന്നെ ‘ഔമ’ (ഓം) പദം, അതിനപ്പുറം മാഹേശ്വരലോകം—ഇങ്ങനെ ചതുഷ്പദാ ദർശനമായി ഉപദേശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• pādāntam: at the end/limit of the pāda (cosmic quarter/step)

• viṣṇulokam: the world/realm of Viṣṇu

• vai: indeed

• kaumāram: the Kaumāra region (connected with Kumāras/skanda-like purity)

• śāntam: peaceful, quiescent

• uttamam: supreme, excellent

• aumam: pertaining to Oṃ (praṇava-tattva)

• māheśvaram: belonging to Maheśvara (Śiva’s realm)

• caiva: and also

• tasmāt: therefore/from that

• dṛṣṭā: seen/known/declared

• catuṣpadā: fourfold pāda / having four “quarters/steps”.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Oṃ (Praṇava)

FAQs

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

It frames spiritual ascent as a graded movement through realms culminating in the Māheśvara sphere, implying that Linga-upāsanā is oriented toward realizing Pati (Śiva) beyond intermediary cosmic stations.

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

Śiva-tattva is indicated as the Māheśvara culmination—beyond tranquil intermediary regions and even the praṇava-domain—signifying Pati as the final refuge and highest ontological station.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Praṇava (Oṃ) contemplation is implied as a yogic bridge in ascent; in a Pāśupata-oriented reading, disciplined japa and inner stillness lead the paśu (soul) beyond pasha (bondage) toward the Māheśvara realization.