Shloka 42

देवादिसृष्टिकथनम् (वसिष्ठशोकः, पराशरजन्म, एकलिङ्गपूजा, रुद्रदर्शनम्)

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठाश्वत्थमाश्रित्य ह्य् अमृता तु यथा लता निर्मूलाप्यमृता भर्त्रा त्यक्ता दीना स्थिताप्यहम्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭhāśvatthamāśritya hy amṛtā tu yathā latā nirmūlāpyamṛtā bhartrā tyaktā dīnā sthitāpyaham

Translation

వసిష్ఠుని పవిత్ర అశ్వత్థాన్ని ఆశ్రయించిన లతలా, నేను ‘అమృతా’ కూడా ఆధారానికి అతనినే అంటుకున్నాను. కానీ పేరుకు అమృతా అయినా, నేను వేరులతో సహా తెగిపోయాను—భర్తచే త్యజింపబడి—దీనంగా కేవలం నిలిచియున్నాను।

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha): the sage Vasiṣṭha

• अश्वत्थम् (aśvattham): the sacred fig tree

• आश्रित्य (āśritya): having taken refuge in/clinging to

• हि (hi): indeed

• अमृता (amṛtā): Amṛtā (name of the woman)

• तु (tu): but/indeed

• यथा (yathā): just as

• लता (latā): creeper/vine

• निर्मूला अपि (nirmūlā api): even though uprooted/without roots

• भर्त्रा (bhartrā): by the husband

• त्यक्ता (tyaktā): abandoned

• दीना (dīnā): miserable, distressed

• स्थितापि (sthitā api): even while remaining/standing

• अहम् (aham): I

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a cited lament spoken by Amṛtā within the chapter’s internal story)

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Aśvattha (sacred fig tree)
• Amṛtā

FAQs

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

It frames worldly dependence as fragile—like a vine that can be uprooted—implying that the enduring refuge for the paśu is Śiva as Pati, approached through Linga-upāsanā when human supports fail.

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

By contrast: the husband’s abandonment highlights impermanence (pāśa), while Shaiva Siddhānta reads Śiva-tattva as the un-abandoning Pati—stable refuge beyond social identity and emotional upheaval.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse chiefly signals vairāgya and śaraṇāgati (turning from pāśa to Pati); in practice this aligns with Linga-pūjā accompanied by japa and contemplative detachment, a preparatory mood for Pāśupata-oriented discipline.