Shloka 3

एकार्णव-सृष्टिक्रमः, ब्रह्म-विष्णु-परस्परप्रवेशः, शिवस्य आगमनं च

Devanagari script

मध्ये चैकार्णवे तस्मिन् शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः जीमूताभो ऽम्बुजाक्षश् च किरीटी श्रीपतिर्हरिः

Transliteration

madhye caikārṇave tasmin śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ jīmūtābho 'mbujākṣaś ca kirīṭī śrīpatirhariḥ

Translation

त्या एकार्णवाच्या मध्यभागी हरि उभे होते—शंख, चक्र व गदा धारण करणारे; मेघासारखे श्याम, कमळ-नेत्र, मुकुटधारी आणि श्रीपती। (शैव सिद्धान्तानुसार हे दर्शनही शिवाच्या प्राकट्य-क्षेत्रातच प्रकट होते.)

Word by Word

• मध्ये (madhye): in the middle

• च (ca): and

• एकार्णवे (ekārṇave): in the single cosmic ocean (primeval waters)

• तस्मिन् (tasmin): in that

• शङ्ख-चक्र-गदा-धरः (śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharaḥ): bearer of the conch, discus, and mace

• जीमूत-आभः (jīmūta-ābhaḥ): cloud-hued, like a rain-cloud

• अम्बुज-अक्षः (ambuja-akṣaḥ): lotus-eyed

• च (ca): and

• किरीटी (kirīṭī): wearing a crown

• श्री-पतिः (śrī-patiḥ): Lord of Śrī (Lakṣmī)

• हरिः (hariḥ): Hari (Viṣṇu).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hari
• Shri (Lakshmi)

FAQs

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

It establishes the cosmic backdrop (aikārṇava) in which divine functions appear; in Shaiva reading, such appearances occur within Śiva’s sovereign reality (Pati), preparing the narrative ground for the Linga’s primacy and later installation-oriented teachings.

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

Though the verse names Hari, the Shaiva Siddhānta lens treats this as a manifestation within the Lord’s (Śiva’s) domain of māyā and sṛṣṭi—indicating Śiva-tattva as the transcendent Pati under whom cosmic roles (including Viṣṇu’s) operate.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No direct pūjā-vidhi or Pāśupata yoga technique is stated; the takeaway is contemplative dhyāna on the cosmic origin-setting—meditating on the Lord’s forms arising in the primeval waters as a prelude to disciplined worship and liberation of the paśu from pāśa.