Shloka 200

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

ततो ऽस्य जघनात्पूर्वम् असुरा जज्ञिरे सुताः असुर:: निरुक्ति असुः प्राणः स्मृतो विप्रास् तज्जन्मानस् ततो ऽसुराः

Transliteration

tato 'sya jaghanātpūrvam asurā jajñire sutāḥ asura:: nirukti asuḥ prāṇaḥ smṛto viprās tajjanmānas tato 'surāḥ

Translation

Kemudian, terlebih dahulu daripada bahagian belakangnya, lahirlah putera-putera sebagai Asura. Wahai para brahmin, inilah etimologi “Asura”: “asu” diingati sebagai nafas hayat; kerana mereka lahir daripada “asu” itu, maka mereka dinamakan Asura.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• asya: of him

• jaghanāt: from the buttocks/hinder-part

• pūrvam: first

• asurāḥ: the Asuras

• jajñire: were born

• sutāḥ: sons/offspring

• asuraḥ: the term “asura”

• niruktiḥ: etymological derivation

• asuḥ: vital breath, life-force

• prāṇaḥ: prāṇa (life-breath)

• smṛtaḥ: is said/remembered

• viprāḥ: O brahmins

• tat-janmānaḥ: having that as their birth-origin/from that birth

• tataḥ: therefore

• asurāḥ: Asuras

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the creation-account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Asuras
• Prana (Asu)

FAQs

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

It frames cosmic creation as emanating from a higher source, preparing the devotee to see all beings as dependent on the Supreme Pati (Shiva), which is foundational for Linga-puja as worship of the causal Lord beyond all categories.

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

Indirectly: by showing that classes of beings arise through ordered manifestation, it implies Shiva-tattva as the transcendent Pati—prior to and sovereign over prāṇa, bodies, and the created orders (including Asuras), while souls (paśu) remain bound by pasha until grace.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No explicit ritual is given here; the yogic takeaway is prāṇa-awareness—recognizing “asu/prāṇa” as a created life-force, not the ultimate Self, aligning with Shaiva discipline where prāṇa is regulated but Pati (Shiva) alone is the liberator.