Shloka 98

Devanagari script

तद्वक्त्रशेषमात्रान्तं कृत्वा सर्वस्य विग्रहम् शुक्तिशित्यं तदा मङ्गं वीरभद्रः क्षणात्ततः

Transliteration

tadvaktraśeṣamātrāntaṃ kṛtvā sarvasya vigraham śuktiśityaṃ tadā maṅgaṃ vīrabhadraḥ kṣaṇāttataḥ

Translation

Bấy giờ Vīrabhadra trong khoảnh khắc đã làm cho toàn thân kẻ ấy chỉ còn lại chút tàn dư nơi gương mặt; lập tức khiến hắn tái nhợt và tan nát—niềm kiêu mạn của lễ tế bị đập vỡ.

Word by Word

• tad-: that

• vaktra: face, mouth

• śeṣa: remainder

• mātra: merely, only

• antaṃ: up to the limit, ending in

• kṛtvā: having made, having rendered

• sarvasya: of the whole, of the entire

• vigraham: bodily form

• śukti-śityam: whitened like a shell, made pallid

• tadā: then

• maṅgam: broken, crippled, ruined (state of being shattered)

• vīrabhadraḥ: Vīrabhadra

• kṣaṇāt: in an instant

• tataḥ: thereafter, then

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It underscores that Shiva (Pati) is not controlled by external ritual alone; when yajña becomes ego-driven, it collapses. Linga worship emphasizes surrender, purity of intent, and Shiva’s grace (anugraha) rather than pride in performance.

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

Through Vīrabhadra—Shiva’s empowered force—it shows Shiva-tattva as the sovereign regulator of dharma: He can instantly dissolve embodied power and status, revealing the Pāśa (bondage of pride) that binds the Pashu (individual soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway is restraint of ego (ahaṅkāra-tyāga) and inner consecration: ritual must be joined with bhakti and Pashupata-oriented discipline—humility, devotion to Shiva, and alignment with dharma—otherwise it becomes mere bondage-producing karma.