Shloka 2

उपमन्युना कृष्णाय पाशुपतज्ञान-प्रदानम् तथा दानविधि-फलश्रुतिः

Devanagari script

कथं लब्धं तदा ज्ञानं तस्मात्कृष्णेन धीमता वक्तुमर्हसि तां सूत कथां पातकनाशिनीम्

Transliteration

kathaṃ labdhaṃ tadā jñānaṃ tasmātkṛṣṇena dhīmatā vaktumarhasi tāṃ sūta kathāṃ pātakanāśinīm

Translation

कथं लब्धं तदा ज्ञानं तस्मात्कृष्णेन धीमता। वक्तुमर्हसि तां सूत कथां पातकनाशिनीम्॥

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?

• लब्धम्: obtained/attained

• तदा: then/at that time

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge (jñāna)

• तस्मात्: from him/therefore

• कृष्णेन: by Kṛṣṇa

• धीमता: by the wise one

• वक्तुम्: to tell/speak

• अर्हसि: you are worthy/you should

• ताम्: that

• सूत: O Sūta

• कथाम्: narrative/account

• पातकनाशिनीम्: sin-destroying (that which removes pāpa).

Speaker

Sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (addressing Sūta Gosvāmin)

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Suta

FAQs

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

It establishes that hearing a purāṇic account connected to Shiva’s wisdom is itself purifying—kathā becomes a means to remove pāpa and prepare the paśu for devotion and right knowledge that culminate in Linga-oriented worship.

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

By emphasizing jñāna that destroys sin and leads beyond bondage, it implies Shiva-tattva as Pati—the liberating principle—whose truth is accessed through sacred narration and realized knowledge, dissolving pāśa that binds the soul.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) and kīrtana of the sin-destroying kathā are highlighted as foundational sādhana; they function as preparatory discipline aligned with Pāśupata orientation, supporting inner purification before deeper yoga or pūjā.