Shloka 93

देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च

Devanagari script

स्वयंज्योतिर् अनुज्योतिर् आत्मज्योतिर् अचञ्चलः पिङ्गलः कपिलश्मश्रुः शास्त्रनेत्रस् त्रयीतनुः

Transliteration

svayaṃjyotir anujyotir ātmajyotir acañcalaḥ piṅgalaḥ kapilaśmaśruḥ śāstranetras trayītanuḥ

Translation

അവൻ സ്വയംജ്യോതി, മറ്റു ജ്യോതികളെ പ്രകാശിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ജ്യോതി; ആത്മാവിന്റെ അന്തർജ്യോതി. അചഞ്ചലൻ, പിംഗളവർണ്ണൻ, കപിലദാടിയുള്ളവൻ; ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളാണ് അവന്റെ നേത്രങ്ങൾ, വേദത്രയമാണ് അവന്റെ തനു—പാശാതീത പതി പശുവിന് ശുദ്ധചൈതന്യമായി വെളിവാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• svayaṃjyotiḥ: self-luminous

• anujyotiḥ: the light that follows/illumines other lights (the source behind all illumination)

• ātmajyotiḥ: the inner light of the Self (ātman)

• acañcalaḥ: unmoving, steady, unwavering

• piṅgalaḥ: tawny/reddish-brown in hue

• kapilaśmaśruḥ: having tawny (kapila) beard

• śāstranetraḥ: whose eyes are the śāstras (scriptural vision)

• trayītanuḥ: whose body/form is the Vedic triad (Ṛg–Yajus–Sāman)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya; conveying the Shiva-Sahasranama)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as svayaṃjyotiḥ—the self-revealing Light—supporting the Linga as the aniconic sign of pure consciousness that needs no external proof, only direct recognition through devotion and inner awareness.

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

Shiva is defined as the unshaken, self-existent illuminator (ātmajyotiḥ) who stands as Pati: the stable reality by which the pashu knows, and by whose grace the bonds (pasha) are transcended.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to contemplative upāsanā: meditating on Shiva as the inner light (ātmajyotiḥ) and aligning one’s vision with śāstra (śāstranetraḥ), a Pashupata-oriented discipline of steady awareness (acañcalaḥ) during japa and Linga-pūjā.