Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तपोरतिरकल्माषो धन्वी खड्गी महानृषिः । तामसस्य स्मृता एते दश पुत्रा महाव्रताः

Transliteration

taporatirakalmāṣo dhanvī khaḍgī mahānṛṣiḥ | tāmasasya smṛtā ete daśa putrā mahāvratāḥ

Translation

Si Taporati, Akalmāṣa, Dhanvī, Khaḍgī, at Mahānṛṣi—sila ang inaalala sa sampung anak ni Tāmasa na may dakilang panata.

Word by Word

तपोरतिःTapas-delight (one named Taporatī)

अकल्माषःAkalmaṣa (one named Akalmaṣa)

धन्वीbowman; one named Dhanvī

खड्गीswordsman; one named Khaḍgī

महानृषिःthe great sage (Mahānṛṣi as a name/epithet)

तामसस्यof Tāmasa

स्मृताःare remembered/are said to be

एतेthese

दशten

पुत्राःsons

महाव्रताःof great vows; great-vowed

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it completes the genealogical enumeration of Tāmasa’s ten sons, described as mahāvratāḥ—upholders of dharma within the Manvantara.

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Continuation of Manvantara genealogy: portrayal of dharma-maintaining progeny (mahāvrata) within cyclical time.

Characters & Entities

Tāmasa

Taporati

Akalmāṣa

Dhanvī

Khaḍgī

Mahānṛṣi

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It honors the ideal of mahāvrata—steadfast vows, discipline, and purity—showing that spiritual authority in Shaiva tradition is grounded in tapas (austerity) and dharma, not merely birth or power.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

By praising great-vowed descendants, the text implies that Saguna Shiva worship (Linga-pūjā with mantra and observances) is sustained by disciplined living—vrata, self-restraint, and devotion—through which the devotee becomes fit for Shiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is vrata and tapas: adopt a regular vow such as daily Panchākṣarī japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), simple satvic discipline, and consistent Shiva-pūjā; the verse highlights vow-keeping as the core practice.