Shloka 23

ध्यानयोगेन रुद्रदर्शनम् — रुद्रावतार-परिवर्तक्रमः, लकुली (कायावतार), पाशुपतयोगः, लिङ्गार्चन-निष्ठा

Devanagari script

रुद्रलोकं गमिष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् चतुर्थे द्वापरे चैव यदा व्यासो ऽङ्गिराः स्मृतः

Transliteration

rudralokaṃ gamiṣyanti punarāvṛttidurlabham caturthe dvāpare caiva yadā vyāso 'ṅgirāḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

அவர்கள் ருத்ரலோகத்திற்குச் செல்வார்கள்; அங்கிருந்து மீண்டும் பிறவிச்சுழலுக்கு திரும்புதல் அரிது. நான்காம் துவாபரத்தில், வியாசர் ‘அங்கிரா’ என நினைக்கப்படும் காலத்தில்.

Word by Word

• रुद्रलोकम्: to Rudra’s realm (Rudraloka)

• गमिष्यन्ति: they will go

• पुनरावृत्ति-दुर्लभम्: where return (to saṃsāra) is difficult/rare

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth

• द्वापरे: Dvāpara-yuga

• च एव: and indeed

• यदा: when

• व्यासः: the Vyāsa (compiler/sage)

• अङ्गिराः: Aṅgirā (name/lineage designation)

• स्मृतः: is remembered/known as

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Vyasa
• Angiras

FAQs

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

It presents a phala-śruti: steadfast Rudra-bhakti (as cultivated through Linga-centered devotion) culminates in attainment of Rudraloka, a state described as beyond ordinary cycles of return to saṃsāra.

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

By naming Rudraloka as “punarāvṛtti-durlabha,” it implies Shiva as Pati—the Lord who loosens pāśa (bondage) for the paśu (individual soul), granting a transcendental station where rebirth is not the default condition.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes the fruit of Rudra-bhakti rather than a specific rite; in Shaiva framing this is typically supported by Linga-pūjā, japa, and Pāśupata-oriented discipline that turns the paśu toward Pati and away from pāśa.