Shloka 40

देवदारुवनौकसां प्रति ब्रह्मोपदेशः—लिङ्गलक्षण-प्रतिष्ठा-विधिः, शिवमायारूपदर्शनं, स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

शङ्कराय वृषाङ्काय गणानां पतये नमः दण्डहस्ताय कालाय पाशहस्ताय वै नमः

Transliteration

śaṅkarāya vṛṣāṅkāya gaṇānāṃ pataye namaḥ daṇḍahastāya kālāya pāśahastāya vai namaḥ

Translation

ขอนอบน้อมแด่ศังกร ผู้มีสัญลักษณ์เป็นโคและเป็นเจ้าแห่งคณะคณา; ขอนอบน้อมแด่ผู้ทรงไม้ทัณฑ์คือกาละเอง และผู้ทรงบ่วงปาศะ ผู้ผูกและปลดปล่อยสัตว์ผู้ถูกผูกพัน

Word by Word

• शङ्कराय (śaṅkarāya): to Śaṅkara, the auspicious one

• वृषाङ्काय (vṛṣāṅkāya): to Him marked by the Bull (Nandin/dharma)

• गणानां (gaṇānāṃ): of the gaṇas (Śiva’s hosts)

• पतये (pataye): to the Lord/master

• नमः (namaḥ): salutations

• दण्डहस्ताय (daṇḍa-hastāya): to Him whose hand holds the staff/rod of discipline

• कालाय (kālāya): to Kāla, Time/Death as cosmic regulator

• पाशहस्ताय (pāśa-hastāya): to Him whose hand holds the noose (bondage and restraint)

• वै (vai): indeed, surely

• नमः (namaḥ): salutations

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating a Shiva-stuti within the Linga Purana discourse to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganas
• Nandi
• Kala

FAQs

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

It frames Linga-worship as surrender to Pati (Śiva), who rules the gaṇas and governs karma as Kāla; the devotee approaches the Linga seeking release from pāśa (bondage) rather than mere worldly boons.

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

Śiva is shown as both auspicious grace (Śaṅkara) and cosmic regulator (Kāla): the Lord who disciplines beings with the daṇḍa and who binds/controls with the pāśa—yet, as Pati, He is also the one who can loosen those bonds for the paśu (individual soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A stuti-based upāsanā: recitation of Śiva’s epithets during Linga-pūjā to cultivate bhakti and vairāgya, aligning with Pāśupata orientation—recognizing pāśa and seeking refuge in Pati for liberation.