Shloka 31

नन्दिकेश्वरोत्पत्तिः — Nandikesvara’s Origin, Shiva’s Boons, and the Rise of Sacred Rivers

Devanagari script

त्र्यक्षो दशभुजश्चैव द्वितीय इव शङ्करः तत एव समादाय हस्तेन परमेश्वरः

Transliteration

tryakṣo daśabhujaścaiva dvitīya iva śaṅkaraḥ tata eva samādāya hastena parameśvaraḥ

Translation

ത്രിനേത്രനും ദശഭുജനും ആയി അവൻ രണ്ടാമൻ ശങ്കരനെന്നപോലെ തോന്നി. അപ്പോൾ തന്നെ പരമേശ്വരൻ അതേ നിമിഷം തന്റെ കൈകൊണ്ട് അവനെ പിടിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• त्र्यक्षः: three-eyed

• दशभुजः: ten-armed

• च एव: and indeed

• द्वितीयः इव: like a second

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)

• तत एव: from that very place/at that very moment

• समादाय: having taken hold of, having seized

• हस्तेन: with (his) hand

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shankara
• Parameshvara

FAQs

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

By portraying a form “like a second Śaṅkara,” the verse underscores that all mighty manifestations ultimately belong to the one Pati (Lord) who governs creation and dissolution—supporting Linga worship as devotion to the single, supreme Parameśvara beyond changing forms.

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

Shiva-tattva here is shown as sovereign and immediate: the Supreme Lord can manifest or confront even a Shiva-like power, indicating His transcendence over all derivative energies and His mastery over pasha (bondage) and the worlds it binds.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse primarily highlights Pashupati’s lordship rather than a specific rite; as a yogic takeaway, it points to Pāśupata discernment—recognizing the one Supreme Pati behind all appearances, a key insight supporting focused Linga-upāsanā.