Shloka 24

Bhūtavana–Kailāsa–Mandākinī–Rudrapurī: Śiva’s Jeweled Abodes and Perpetual Worship

Devanagari script

तथा कुमुदषण्डैश् च महापद्मैर् अलंकृता यक्षगन्धर्वनारीभिर् अप्सरोभिश् च सेविता

Transliteration

tathā kumudaṣaṇḍaiś ca mahāpadmair alaṃkṛtā yakṣagandharvanārībhir apsarobhiś ca sevitā

Translation

Demikian juga, tempat itu dihiasi gugusan bunga kumuda (teratai malam) dan teratai agung, serta dilayani oleh wanita Yakṣa dan Gandharva, juga para Apsarā.

Word by Word

• तथा (tathā): likewise/also

• कुमुद-षण्डैः (kumuda-ṣaṇḍaiḥ): by clusters/masses of kumuda (night-blooming lotuses)

• च (ca): and

• महा-पद्मैः (mahā-padmaiḥ): by great lotuses

• अलंकृता (alaṃkṛtā): adorned/decorated

• यक्ष-गन्धर्व-नारीभिः (yakṣa-gandharva-nārībhiḥ): by Yakṣa and Gandharva women

• अप्सरोभिः (apsarobhiḥ): by Apsarases (celestial nymphs)

• च (ca): and

• सेविता (sevitā): attended/served/visited.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Yakshas
• Gandharvas
• Apsarases

FAQs

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

By portraying a lotus-adorned sacred region attended by celestial beings, the verse frames the Linga’s sphere as a realm of śuddhi (purity) and maṅgala (auspiciousness), supporting the devotee’s bhāva that Linga-pūjā grants entry into Shiva’s sanctified order (Pati’s domain) beyond pasha-bound impurity.

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

Indirectly, it depicts Shiva-tattva as the supreme auspicious principle around which cosmic harmony gathers—beauty (lotuses) and orderly attendance (sevitā) symbolize the soul’s natural orientation toward Pati when pasha (bondage) is thinned and the inner field becomes lotus-like—unstained amid the world.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implies tīrtha-smarana and dhyāna: visualizing Shiva’s sacred abode/region as lotus-filled supports ekāgratā (one-pointedness). In Pashupata-oriented practice, such visualization reinforces vairāgya and śuddhācāra, preparing the pashu (soul) for Linga-upāsanā and grace (anugraha) of Pati.