Shloka 96

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

रथेन किं चेषुवरेण तस्य गणैश् च किं देवगणैश् च शंभोः पुरत्रयं दग्धुमलुप्तशक्तेः किमेतद् इत्याहुर् अजेन्द्रमुख्याः

Transliteration

rathena kiṃ ceṣuvareṇa tasya gaṇaiś ca kiṃ devagaṇaiś ca śaṃbhoḥ puratrayaṃ dagdhumaluptaśakteḥ kimetad ityāhur ajendramukhyāḥ

Translation

“Ngài cần gì đến chiến xa, hay đến mũi tên tuyệt hảo? Śambhu cần gì đến tùy tùng hay đến đoàn thần linh? Quyền năng của Ngài chẳng hề suy giảm—Ngài tự thân cũng có thể thiêu rụi ba thành (Tripura). ‘Vậy tất cả việc này có ý nghĩa gì?’—đó là lời của bậc đứng đầu trong Đấng Vô Sinh và Indra (tức Brahmā và các vị thiên thần hàng đầu).”

Word by Word

• रथेन: with a chariot/for a chariot

• किम्: what (need)?

• चेषुवरेण: with an excellent arrow

• तस्य: for him/of him

• गणैः: with the gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

• च: and

• किम्: what (need)?

• देवगणैः: with the hosts of gods

• च: and

• शंभोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)

• पुरत्रयम्: the three cities (Tripura)

• दग्धुम्: to burn

• अलुप्त-शक्तेः: whose power is undiminishing/unimpaired

• किम् एतत्: what is this (purpose)?

• इति: thus

• आहुः: they said

• अजेन्द्र-मुख्याः: the foremost among Aja (Brahmā) and Indra (the leading Devas).

Speaker

Devas led by Brahma and Indra (as recounted within Suta’s narration)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shambhu
• Ganas
• Devas
• Brahma (Aja)
• Indra

FAQs

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

It underscores Shiva’s alupta-śakti—his power is self-existent and not dependent on external aids—supporting Linga worship as devotion to the independent Pati rather than to contingent instruments.

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

Shiva is portrayed as the sovereign Pati whose śakti never wanes; even cosmic functions like destroying Tripura do not require support from devas, weapons, or vehicles—these are symbolic upāyas, not necessities.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A contemplative takeaway aligned with Pāśupata orientation: meditate on Shiva’s independence (svātantrya) and offer worship seeing all ritual implements as symbols, while the true refuge is the Pati beyond pasha (bondage).