Shloka 20

स्वेच्छाविग्रहसंभव-प्रतिष्ठाफलवर्णनम् (विविधशिवमूर्तिप्रतिष्ठा, लोक-फल, शिवसायुज्य)

Devanagari script

सूर्यमण्डलसंकाशैर् विमानैर् वृषसंयुतैः अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णैर् देवदानवदुर्लभैः

Transliteration

sūryamaṇḍalasaṃkāśair vimānair vṛṣasaṃyutaiḥ apsarogaṇasaṃkīrṇair devadānavadurlabhaiḥ

Translation

سورج کے گولے کی مانند درخشاں وِمان، بیلوں سے جُتے ہوئے—اپسراؤں کے جُھنڈ سے بھرے—ایسے کہ دیوتاؤں اور دانَووں کے لیے بھی نہایت نایاب تھے۔

Word by Word

• सूर्यमण्डल (sūryamaṇḍala): solar disk/orb

• संकाशैः (saṃkāśaiḥ): resembling, radiant like

• विमानैः (vimānaiḥ): celestial aerial chariots

• वृषसंयुतैः (vṛṣa-saṃyutaiḥ): yoked with bulls (vṛṣa)

• अप्सरोगण (apsaro-gaṇa): hosts of apsarās

• संकीर्णैः (saṃkīrṇaiḥ): filled with, thronged by

• देव (deva): gods

• दानव (dānava): dānavas/demonic titans

• दुर्लभैः (durlabhaiḥ): difficult to obtain/rare even for

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Surya
• Apsaras
• Devas
• Danavas

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva’s sphere of grace as supremely luminous and difficult to attain, implying that Linga-upāsanā (worship of the Pati through the Linga) yields fruits beyond ordinary celestial rewards, even those coveted by devas and dānavas.

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

By depicting attainments “rare even for devas and dānavas,” the verse points to Shiva as Pati—transcendent Lord who alone grants exceptional states and abodes; such splendor is not merely karmic merit but the Lord’s sovereign anugraha (grace).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Implicitly, it supports Pāśupata-oriented discipline and Shiva-pūjā as the means by which the pashu (bound soul) can surpass pasha-bound celestial enjoyments and receive rarer, grace-born attainments associated with Shiva’s realm.