Shloka 19

अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य — काशी-वाराणसी में मोक्ष, लिङ्ग-तीर्थ-मानचित्र, और उपासना-विधि

Devanagari script

विटपनिचयलीनं नीलकण्ठाभिरामं मदमुदितविहङ्गं प्राप्तनादाभिरामम् कुसुमिततरुशाखालीनमत्तद्विरेफं नवकिसलयशोभाशोभितं प्रांशुशाखम्

Transliteration

viṭapanicayalīnaṃ nīlakaṇṭhābhirāmaṃ madamuditavihaṅgaṃ prāptanādābhirāmam kusumitataruśākhālīnamattadvirephaṃ navakisalayaśobhāśobhitaṃ prāṃśuśākham

Translation

O bosque estava envolto por agrupamentos de árvores, encantador pela presença do Senhor de Garganta Azul (Nīlakaṇṭha), Śiva. As aves, exultantes, enchiam-no de cantos melodiosos. Nos ramos floridos, abelhas inebriadas se prendiam zumbindo; e as altas ramagens brilhavam, embelezadas pelo esplendor dos brotos tenros recém-surgidos—um arvoredo auspicioso, digno do culto ao Pati, o Senhor que afrouxa o pāśa (laço) do paśu (alma).

Word by Word

• viṭapa-nicaya-līnam: hidden/ensconced among masses of trees

• nīla-kaṇṭha-abhirāmam: delightful due to (the presence/beauty of) Nīlakaṇṭha (Shiva, the Blue-throated)

• mada-mudita-vihaṅgam: with birds made joyful and intoxicated (by delight)

• prāpta-nāda-abhirāmam: charming with resounding/arrived songs and sounds

• kusumita-taru-śākhā-līna: where (they) cling/settle on the branches of flowering trees

• matta-dvirepham: with intoxicated bees

• nava-kisalaya-śobhā-śobhitam: adorned by the beauty of new tender shoots

• prāṃśu-śākham: having lofty/tall branches

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Nīlakaṇṭha)

FAQs

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

The verse sacralizes the setting of worship: the grove’s auspicious sounds, blossoms, and bees signify a purified kṣetra where the pashu approaches Pati through devotion, making the environment itself supportive of liṅga-arcana.

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

By invoking Nīlakaṇṭha, it points to Shiva’s compassionate mastery over poison and suffering—Pati who remains untouched yet protects beings—whose presence transforms the world into a harmonious field of consciousness.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It implies kṣetra-śuddhi and manas-śuddhi: preparing a pure place and a collected mind through Shiva-smarana and attentive listening (nāda), which aligns with Pāśupata orientation toward inner stillness and devotion.