Shloka 12

ध्यानयोगेन रुद्रदर्शनम् — रुद्रावतार-परिवर्तक्रमः, लकुली (कायावतार), पाशुपतयोगः, लिङ्गार्चन-निष्ठा

Devanagari script

द्वापरे प्रथमे ब्रह्मन् यदा व्यासः स्वयं प्रभुः तदाहं ब्राह्मणार्थाय कलौ तस्मिन् युगान्तिके

Transliteration

dvāpare prathame brahman yadā vyāsaḥ svayaṃ prabhuḥ tadāhaṃ brāhmaṇārthāya kalau tasmin yugāntike

Translation

Hỡi Bà-la-môn, trong Dvāpara đầu tiên, khi chính Vyāsa—uy quyền như bậc Chúa—hiện hữu, bấy giờ Ta đã hiển lộ vì lợi ích của các Bà-la-môn; và về sau, trong Kali, tại bước ngoặt của thời đại, Ta lại xuất hiện để hộ trì dharma và dẫn dắt paśu (linh hồn bị trói buộc) hướng về Pati (Đấng Chủ Tể).

Word by Word

• द्वापरे: in Dvāpara-yuga

• प्रथमे: in the first (cycle/phase)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (address to a sage/creator)

• यदा: when

• व्यासः: Vyāsa

• स्वयं: himself

• प्रभुः: the Lord/master (one endowed with sovereignty)

• तदा: then

• अहम्: I

• ब्राह्मणार्थाय: for the sake/benefit of the brahmins

• कलौ: in Kali-yuga

• तस्मिन्: in that

• युगान्तिके: at the end/threshold of the yuga (yuga-junction)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (outer narration; internal ‘I’ refers to Shiva’s purposeful manifestation in yuga-transition context)

Characters & Entities

• Vyasa
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva’s intervention at a yuga-junction as dharma-protection for brahmins—implying continuity of Vedic-Shiva rites and the safeguarding of Linga-centered worship when Kali’s decline threatens ritual purity.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as Pati: sovereign and compassionate, manifesting by free will (svayaṁ prabhuḥ) to uphold dharma and to provide a liberating path for paśus entangled in pāśa, especially in Kali’s difficult conditions.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to yuga-appropriate protection of Vedic-Shiva practice; in Shaiva Siddhanta terms, it supports disciplined Shiva-puja and Pashupata-oriented sadhana as remedial means for Kali-yuga decline.