Shloka 39

Adhyaya 49: जम्बूद्वीप-मेर्वादि-वर्षपर्वत-वन-सरः-रुद्रक्षेत्र-वर्णनम्

Devanagari script

सितोदं पश्चिमसरो महाभद्रं तथोत्तरम् शाखस्य दक्षिणे क्षेत्रं विशाखस्य च पश्चिमे

Transliteration

sitodaṃ paścimasaro mahābhadraṃ tathottaram śākhasya dakṣiṇe kṣetraṃ viśākhasya ca paścime

Translation

Ang Sitodā ay ang lawa sa kanluran; gayundin, ang Mahābhadra ay nasa hilaga. Ang banal na kṣetra ay nasa timog ng Śākha at nasa kanluran ng Viśākha—ganyan ang mga direksiyon ng mga sagradong pook na ito, itinatag upang sambahin ang Panginoon (Pati) sa pamamagitan ng Linga.

Word by Word

• sitodam: Sitoda (name of a sacred place)

• paścima-saraḥ: western lake

• mahābhadram: Mahābhadra (name of a sacred place/region)

• tathā: likewise

• uttaram: northern (to the north)

• śākhasya: of Śākha (a named locality/marker)

• dakṣiṇe: to the south

• kṣetram: sacred field, holy precinct

• viśākhasya: of Viśākha (a named locality/marker)

• ca: and

• paścime: to the west

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It maps the relative directions of lakes and kṣetras, implying that Linga-pūjā is grounded in consecrated space—where tīrtha, kṣetra, and orientation support disciplined worship of Pati (Śiva).

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

Indirectly: by emphasizing kṣetra and tīrtha as supports for worship, it reflects Śiva as Pati—the transcendent Lord who is approached through ordered sacred forms (Linga) and sanctified places, guiding the pashu toward release from pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Kṣetra-oriented observance: visiting tīrthas, performing snāna, and establishing/adoring the Linga in a properly identified sacred precinct—practices aligned with Pāśupata discipline of purity, orientation, and regulated upāsanā.