Shloka 4

आभ्यन्तरध्यान-तत्त्वगणना-चतुर्व्यूहयोगः

Adhyaya 28

Devanagari script

तस्माद्ध्येयं तथा ध्यानं यजमानः प्रयोजनम् स्मरेत्तन्नान्यथा जातु बुध्यते पुरुषस्य ह

Transliteration

tasmāddhyeyaṃ tathā dhyānaṃ yajamānaḥ prayojanam smarettannānyathā jātu budhyate puruṣasya ha

Translation

तस्माद्ध्येयं तथा ध्यानं यजमानः प्रयोजनम्। स्मरेत्तन्नान्यथा जातु बुध्यते पुरुषस्य ह॥

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore

• ध्येयम्: the object to be meditated upon (the Lord as Pati, Shiva)

• तथा: likewise

• ध्यानम्: meditation, sustained inner contemplation

• यजमानः: the sacrificer/worshipper (the practitioner)

• प्रयोजनम्: the purpose, intended fruit (mokṣa through Shiva’s grace)

• स्मरेत्: should remember, keep in mind

• तत्: that (true aim/meaning)

• न: not

• अन्यथा: otherwise, in another manner

• जातु: ever, at any time

• बुध्यते: is understood, is realized

• पुरुषस्य: of the person/soul (pashu as puruṣa)

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching context to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It states that Linga-puja is incomplete without remembering the true prayojana—inner realization through dhyeya (Shiva as Pati) and dhyāna (steady contemplation), not mere external ritual.

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

Shiva is implied as the dhyeya—the supreme Pati who is to be directly contemplated; the puruṣa (pashu) cannot grasp the highest meaning by alternate, merely intellectual or outward means.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights dhyāna integrated with worship: the yajamāna must unite ritual intention with sustained meditation, aligning with Pashupata-oriented inner discipline aimed at liberation.