Shloka 76

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

केशो विगतवासाश् च महाकेशो महाज्वरः सोमवल्ली सवर्णश् च सोमपः सेनकस् तथा

Transliteration

keśo vigatavāsāś ca mahākeśo mahājvaraḥ somavallī savarṇaś ca somapaḥ senakas tathā

Translation

அவர் கேசன்; விகதவாசன்—அனைத்து மூடுபடலங்களையும் கடந்தவன்; மகாகேசன், மகாஜ்வரன்—பந்தங்களை எரிக்கும் உச்சத் தாபம். அவர் சோமவல்லி, சவர்ணன்—ஒன்றிய, எங்கும் பரவும் ஒளி; சோமபன், சேனகன்—தேவசேனைகளை நடத்தும் ஆண்டவன்.

Word by Word

• केशः: Keśa, the Lord of (matted) hair

• विगतवासाः: free from coverings/attachments, unclad by māyā

• महाकेशः: the Great-Haired One (Mahākeśa)

• महाज्वरः: the Great Fever, the supreme burning power that consumes pāśa (bondage)

• सोमवल्ली: Soma-creeper, source of Soma and sacred potency

• सवर्णः: of the same hue/radiance, uniform and all-pervading

• सोमपः: Soma-drinker, receiver of Vedic oblations

• सेनकः: leader/organizer of the hosts (gaṇas/senas)

• तथा: and also/likewise

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s Sahasranama to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as both the transcendent Pati beyond coverings (Vigatavāsas) and the immanent receiver of Vedic worship (Somapa), supporting Linga-puja as a complete path of devotion and purification.

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

Shiva is shown as the purifier who burns bonds (Mahājvara) and as the all-pervading, uniform radiance (Savarṇa), indicating the Lord’s power to remove pāśa from the paśu and reveal innate consciousness.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to Soma-offering/oblation symbolism (Somapa) alongside inner austerity where impurities are ‘burned’ (Mahājvara), aligning outer Vedic rite with Pāśupata-style inner purification.