Shloka 17

युगधर्मवर्णनम् — चतुर्युग, गुण, धर्मपाद, तथा वार्तोत्पत्ति

Devanagari script

पर्वतोदधिवासिन्यो ह्य् अनिकेताश्रयास्तु ताः विशोकाः सत्त्वबहुला एकान्तबहुलास् तथा

Transliteration

parvatodadhivāsinyo hy aniketāśrayāstu tāḥ viśokāḥ sattvabahulā ekāntabahulās tathā

Translation

جو پہاڑوں اور سمندروں کے بیچ رہتے تھے، وہ کسی مقررہ گھر کا سہارا نہ لیتے تھے۔ وہ غم سے پاک، سَتْو سے بھرپور اور خلوت پسند کہے گئے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• पर्वत-उदधि-वासिन्यः: dwelling in mountains and oceans

• हि: indeed

• अनिकेत-आश्रयाः: those whose refuge is ‘no fixed abode’/without a settled home

• तु: but/and

• ताः: they/those

• विशोकाः: free from grief

• सत्त्व-बहुलाः: predominated by sattva (purity, clarity)

• एकान्त-बहुलाः: greatly inclined to solitude/seclusion

• तथा: likewise/thus

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana to the sages at Naimisharanya; contextual inference)

FAQs

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

It frames the inner qualification for Linga-upasana: a sattva-dominant, griefless, solitary disposition that supports steady devotion to Pati (Shiva) beyond worldly supports.

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

By highlighting viśoka (freedom from sorrow) and ekānta (inward solitude), it points to Shiva-tattva as the sorrowless ground; the pashu moves toward that state by loosening pasha through renunciation and purity.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ekānta-vāsa and aniketa-bhāva—ascetic seclusion and non-dependence—serve as Pashupata-style supports for japa, dhyana, and unwavering Shiva-bhakti.