Shloka 16

Adhyaya 33: Pashupata Conduct, Bhasma-Vrata, and Shiva’s Boon to the Sages

Devanagari script

नमो देवाधिदेवाय महादेवाय वै नमः अर्धनारीशरीराय सांख्ययोगप्रवर्तिने

Transliteration

namo devādhidevāya mahādevāya vai namaḥ ardhanārīśarīrāya sāṃkhyayogapravartine

Translation

नमो देवाधिदेवाय महादेवाय वै नमः। अर्धनारीशरीराय सांख्ययोगप्रवर्तिने॥

Word by Word

• namo: salutation

• deva-adhidevāya: to the Lord over all gods

• mahādevāya: to Mahādeva (the Great God, Pati)

• vai: indeed/verily

• namaḥ: obeisance

• ardha-nārī-śarīrāya: to Him whose body is half woman (Ardhanārīśvara, unity of Śiva and Śakti)

• sāṃkhya: discriminative analysis of tattvas/principles

• yoga: spiritual discipline/union leading to liberation

• pravartine: to the initiator/propounder/establisher

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a traditional stuti within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ardhanarishvara
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-bhakti as worship of Mahādeva as Devādhideva and emphasizes that true Linga-upāsanā includes recognizing Śiva as Pati and following the liberating path of knowledge (Sāṃkhya) and discipline (Yoga), not merely external ritual.

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

Shiva is praised as supreme (Devādhideva, Mahādeva) and as Ardhanārīśvara—non-dual with Śakti—showing that consciousness (Śiva) and power (Śakti) are one reality, from whom tattva-knowledge and yogic liberation proceed.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights Sāṃkhya-Yoga as Shiva’s own teaching—discriminating the tattvas to cut pāśa (bondage) and practicing yoga as a disciplined means toward mokṣa, aligning with the Pāśupata orientation of turning the paśu toward Pati.