Shloka 30

योगान्तरायाः, औपसर्गिकसिद्धयः, परवैराग्येन शैवप्रसादः

Devanagari script

स्थूलता ह्रस्वता बाल्यं वार्धक्यं यौवनं तथा नानाजातिस्वरूपं च चतुर्भिर् देहधारणम्

Transliteration

sthūlatā hrasvatā bālyaṃ vārdhakyaṃ yauvanaṃ tathā nānājātisvarūpaṃ ca caturbhir dehadhāraṇam

Translation

Béo và gầy nhỏ, tuổi thơ, tuổi già và tuổi thanh xuân; cùng các hình tướng thuộc nhiều loài—đó là bốn cách thức linh hồn thọ trì thân xác, dưới sự nhiếp trì của Pati (Śiva) và tùy theo dây trói (pāśa) của nghiệp.

Word by Word

• स्थूलता (sthūlatā): corpulence, grossness

• ह्रस्वता (hrasvatā): shortness, smallness

• बाल्यम् (bālyam): childhood

• वार्धक्यम् (vārdhakyam): old age

• यौवनम् (yauvanam): youth

• तथा (tathā): and also

• नानाजाति-स्वरूपम् (nānājāti-svarūpam): forms of many species/kinds

• च (ca): and

• चतुर्भिः (caturbhiḥ): by fourfold (modes/categories)

• देह-धारणम् (deha-dhāraṇam): assumption/bearing of a body, embodiment

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames embodiment as a governed process shaped by pāśa (bondage/karma); Linga worship orients the pashu (soul) toward Pati (Śiva) to loosen bondage and transcend merely bodily conditions like age, size, and species-form.

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

Śiva is implied as Pati—the regulating Lord beyond bodily modifications—while the soul undergoes changing states (bālya, yauvana, vārdhakya) and species-forms due to karmic limitation, highlighting Śiva’s transcendence and governance.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports Pāśupata-oriented vairāgya and self-inquiry: recognizing bodily states as transient effects of pāśa, the practitioner turns to Śiva through Linga-pūjā and disciplined yoga to seek liberation from transmigratory embodiment.