Shloka 9

Adhyaya 59 — सूर्याद्यभिषेककथनम्

Surya and Related Abhisheka/ Cosmological Determinations

Devanagari script

सो ऽग्निं सृष्ट्वाथ लोकादौ पृथिवीजलसंश्रितः संहृत्य तत्प्रकाशार्थं त्रिधा व्यभजदीश्वरः

Transliteration

so 'gniṃ sṛṣṭvātha lokādau pṛthivījalasaṃśritaḥ saṃhṛtya tatprakāśārthaṃ tridhā vyabhajadīśvaraḥ

Translation

ครั้นทรงเนรมิตอัคนีขึ้นในปฐมกาลแห่งโลก แล้วทรงสถิตอาศัยในปฐวีและอุทกะ พระอีศวรจึงทรงรวบอัคนีนั้นกลับ และเพื่อให้แสงสว่างทำหน้าที่ จึงทรงแบ่งเป็นสามภาค

Word by Word

• saḥ: He (the Lord)

• agnim: fire, Agni (principle of light/heat)

• sṛṣṭvā: having created/manifested

• atha: then

• loka-ādau: at the beginning of the worlds

• pṛthivī-jala-saṃśritaḥ: established in/associated with earth and water

• saṃhṛtya: having withdrawn, reabsorbed

• tat-prakāśa-artham: for the purpose of its illumination/manifestation

• tri-dhā: into threefold division

• vyabhajat: divided, apportioned

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord, Pati (Śiva as sovereign).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the cosmic account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Agni
• Ishvara

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva (Pati) as the source and regulator of prakāśa (revelatory light). In Linga worship, this supports the Linga as the sign of the formless Lord who makes Himself knowable through light—later ritually echoed through dīpa (lamp), homa (fire), and abhiṣeka (water).

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

Shiva is shown as Īśvara who both projects and withdraws tattvas: He manifests Agni, reabsorbs it, and reconfigures it threefold for revelation. This expresses Pati’s sovereignty over creation and concealment, while remaining the grounding presence through the elemental order (earth and water).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implicitly points to the disciplined use of Agni as a sacred instrument of illumination—externally through homa/dīpa and internally through yogic “inner fire” refined into a threefold mode of practice (e.g., body–speech–mind purification in a Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā).