Shloka 73

Devanagari script

ततस्तत्परमं ब्रह्म कथं विप्रः स्मरिष्यति संसारः पूर्वधर्मस्य भावनाभिः प्रणोदितः

Transliteration

tatastatparamaṃ brahma kathaṃ vipraḥ smariṣyati saṃsāraḥ pūrvadharmasya bhāvanābhiḥ praṇoditaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ വിപ്രൻ പരബ്രഹ്മത്തെ എങ്ങനെ സ്മരിക്കും? മുൻധർമ്മജന്യമായ ഭാവനാസംസ്കാരങ്ങൾ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുന്ന സംസാരം പാശങ്ങളാൽ പശുവിനെ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും ബന്ധിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon

• tat-paramam: that Supreme/that which is highest

• brahma: Brahman, the Absolute

• katham: how?

• vipraḥ: a brahmin, the discerning one

• smariṣyati: will remember/call to mind

• saṃsāraḥ: worldly wandering, transmigration

• pūrva-dharmasya: of former dharma/previously performed duties and acts

• bhāvanābhiḥ: by impressions, contemplative dispositions, latent tendencies

• praṇoditaḥ: impelled, propelled onward

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrative voice, contextual inference)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

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

It highlights the core obstacle to Shiva-oriented remembrance: saṃsāra is propelled by prior karmic-dharmic impressions (bhāvanā). Linga worship functions as a stabilizing upāya to purify these impressions and turn the mind toward Pati (Shiva).

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

By pointing to the “Supreme Brahman” as the true object of remembrance beyond saṃsāra, it aligns with Shaiva Siddhanta’s vision of Pati as the transcendent Reality who is remembered when pasha-born conditioning is attenuated.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implies the need for yogic purification of bhāvanā/samskāra—classically supported in the Linga Purana through disciplined worship (pūjā), japa, and Pāśupata-style inner recollection (smaraṇa) that counters habitual worldly propulsion.