Shloka 44

सप्तद्वीप-सप्तसमुद्र-वर्णनम् तथा प्रियव्रतवंश-राज्यविभागः

Devanagari script

तानि तेषां तु नामानि सप्तवर्षाणि भागशः निवेशितानि तैस्तानि पूर्वं स्वायंभुवे ऽन्तरे

Transliteration

tāni teṣāṃ tu nāmāni saptavarṣāṇi bhāgaśaḥ niveśitāni taistāni pūrvaṃ svāyaṃbhuve 'ntare

Translation

അവരുടെ ആ നാമങ്ങളും ഭാഗങ്ങളായി വിഭജിച്ച ഏഴ് വർഷങ്ങളും—അവർ തന്നേ മുൻപ് സ്വായംഭുവ മന്വന്തരത്തിൽ നിശ്ചിത ലോകക്രമപ്രകാരം സ്ഥാപിച്ചിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तानि (tāni): those (regions/divisions)

• तेषाम् (teṣām): of them

• तु (tu): indeed

• नामानि (nāmāni): names

• सप्तवर्षाणि (saptavarṣāṇi): the seven varṣas (territorial regions)

• भागशः (bhāgaśaḥ): by portions/divisions

• निवेशितानि (niveśitāni): were set/placed/established

• तैः (taiḥ): by them

• तानि (tāni): those (same)

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam): formerly/earlier

• स्वायंभुवे (svāyaṃbhuve): in (the time/period) of Svāyambhuva (Manu)

• अन्तरे (antare): within/during (the interval, i.e., manvantara).

Speaker

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

Characters & Entities

• Svayambhuva Manu

FAQs

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

By emphasizing that the world-regions and their names were “established” in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara, the verse frames the cosmos as an ordered manifestation sustained by Pati (Shiva). Linga worship aligns the pashu (soul) with that divine order (ṛta/dharma), reducing pasha (bondage) born of disorder and ignorance.

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

Even without naming Shiva directly, the verse points to Shiva-tattva as the sovereign principle of niyati (cosmic regulation): the divisions, names, and placements of realms are not random but instituted within manvantaric time. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, this reflects Pati’s governance over the tattvas and the structured field in which pashus evolve toward liberation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific puja-vidhi is stated; the takeaway is niyama-oriented practice—living in harmony with dharma and cosmic order. In a Pashupata-leaning reading, this supports disciplined observance (vrata/niyama) and Shiva-oriented contemplation that stabilizes the mind within the ordained structure of creation.