Shloka 1

Adhyaya 63: Daksha’s Progeny, Kashyapa’s Offspring, and the Rishi-Vamshas that Sustain the Worlds

Devanagari script

इति श्रीलिङ्गमहापुराणे पूर्वभागे भुवनकोशे ध्रुवसंस्थानवर्णनं नाम द्विषष्टितमो ऽध्यायः ऋषय ऊचुः देवानां दानवानां च गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम् उत्पत्तिं ब्रूहि सूताद्य यथाक्रममनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

iti śrīliṅgamahāpurāṇe pūrvabhāge bhuvanakośe dhruvasaṃsthānavarṇanaṃ nāma dviṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ ṛṣaya ūcuḥ devānāṃ dānavānāṃ ca gandharvoragarakṣasām utpattiṃ brūhi sūtādya yathākramamanuttamam

Translation

Như vậy, trong Śrī Liṅga Mahāpurāṇa, phần Pūrva-bhāga, thuộc mục Bhuvanakośa, mở đầu chương thứ sáu mươi ba mang tên “Mô tả nơi cư trú của Dhruva”. Các bậc hiền triết thưa: “Bạch Sūta, xin nay hãy thuật cho chúng tôi—tối thượng và theo đúng thứ tự—nguồn gốc của chư Deva, các Dānava, các Gandharva, các Nāga và các Rākṣasa.”

Word by Word

• iti: thus

• śrī-liṅga-mahāpurāṇe: in the revered Liṅga Mahāpurāṇa

• pūrva-bhāge: in the first section (Pūrva-bhāga)

• bhuvana-kośe: in the cosmic-sheath/cosmography section

• dhruva-saṃsthāna-varṇanam: description of Dhruva’s station/abode

• nāma: named

• dviṣaṣṭitamaḥ adhyāyaḥ: the sixty-third chapter

• ṛṣayaḥ ūcuḥ: the sages said

• devānām: of the gods (Devas)

• dānavānām: of the Dānavas

• ca: and

• gandharva: Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

• uraga: serpents/Nāgas

• rakṣasām: of the Rākṣasas

• utpattim: origin/birth

• brūhi: tell (you should speak)

• sūta: O Sūta

• adya: now/today

• yathā-kramam: in due order

• anuttamam: unsurpassed, excellent.

Speaker

Sages (Ṛṣis) addressing Sūta Gosvāmin

Characters & Entities

• Suta
• Devas
• Danavas
• Gandharvas
• Nagas (Uraga)
• Rakshasas

FAQs

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

It frames the cosmological inquiry that ultimately situates all classes of beings within Śiva’s lordship (Pati). In Liṅga-centered devotion, knowing origins is secondary to recognizing that all worlds and beings rest in the supreme principle symbolized by the Liṅga.

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

Indirectly: by asking for the ordered origins of diverse beings, the text prepares a vision where differences among Deva, Asura, and other species belong to the manifested order, while Śiva-tattva stands as the transcendent ground—Pati—beyond such classifications.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific ritual is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a narrative gateway into sṛṣṭi and cosmic order. The implied takeaway for practice is śravaṇa (reverent listening) that supports right knowledge, a foundation for Pāśupata-oriented discipline.