Shloka 29

देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च

Devanagari script

वरीयान् वरदो वन्द्यः शङ्करः परमेश्वरः गङ्गाधरः शूलधरः परार्थैकप्रयोजनः

Transliteration

varīyān varado vandyaḥ śaṅkaraḥ parameśvaraḥ gaṅgādharaḥ śūladharaḥ parārthaikaprayojanaḥ

Translation

അവൻ അത്യുത്തമൻ, വരദാതാവ്, വന്ദനീയൻ—ശങ്കരൻ, പരമേശ്വരൻ. അവൻ ഗംഗാധരനും ശൂലധരനും; പരഹിതം, അഥവാ ബന്ധിതജീവങ്ങൾക്ക് കൃപയാൽ മോക്ഷം നൽകുക—അതേ അവന്റെ ഏക ലക്ഷ്യം।

Word by Word

• वरीयान् (varīyān): most excellent, supreme

• वरदः (varadaḥ): giver of boons, granter of grace

• वन्द्यः (vandyaḥ): worthy of worship, venerable

• शङ्करः (śaṅkaraḥ): Shankara, the auspicious one

• परमेश्वरः (parameśvaraḥ): Supreme Lord (Pati, the highest Ishvara)

• गङ्गाधरः (gaṅgādharaḥ): bearer of the Ganga (symbol of purifying grace)

• शूलधरः (śūladharaḥ): bearer of the trident (power over the three bonds/impurities)

• परार्थ-एक-प्रयोजनः (parārtha-eka-prayojanaḥ): having the single aim of others’ good, devoted to the highest good of beings

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a hymn of praise within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganga

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-puja as devotion to Parameśvara who is both worthy of reverence and actively benevolent—granting boons and ultimately anugraha that frees the pashu (soul) from pasha (bondage).

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

Shiva is presented as Pati (Parameśvara): supreme, auspicious (Śaṅkara), the granter of grace, and not indifferent—his defining intention is parārtha, the highest welfare of beings, culminating in liberation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse primarily supports stuti and bhakti as limbs of Shiva-puja; it also implies the Pāśupata aim—seeking Shiva’s boon and grace that cuts bondage (symbolized by the trident) and purifies (symbolized by the Ganga).