Shloka 6

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

रक्षार्थमंबुधौ मह्यं विष्णोस्त्वासीत् सुरोत्तमाः वैमानिके गते सर्गे जनलोकं सहर्षिभिः

Transliteration

rakṣārthamaṃbudhau mahyaṃ viṣṇostvāsīt surottamāḥ vaimānike gate sarge janalokaṃ saharṣibhiḥ

Translation

为护持我于大海之中，噢诸天中最胜者，毗湿奴的救护之力曾为我而现。及至天众之创造在天宫中展开，便与诸仙（ṛṣi）同至阇那界（Janaloka）。

Word by Word

• rakṣā-artham: for the sake of protection

• ambudhau: in the ocean

• mahyam: for me

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu

• tu: indeed

• āsīt: was/existed

• sura-uttamāḥ: O best among the gods (voc.)

• vaimānika-gate: when the (heavenly) aerial/celestial course proceeded/was attained

• sarge: in (the time of) creation/emanation

• janalokam: the world called Janaloka

• saha-ṛṣibhiḥ: together with the sages.

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Rishis
• Janaloka

FAQs

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

It frames protection and cosmic order as divine functions operating within creation; in the Liṅga narrative, such protection ultimately points to Pati (Śiva) as the supreme ground, while other deities function within His cosmic administration.

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

Even while naming Viṣṇu as a protector in the cosmic drama, the chapter’s Liṅga-prādurbhāva setting implies that all sustaining powers arise from the supreme principle (Śiva-tattva), the Pati who transcends and yet pervades the lokas and sarga.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No explicit pūjā-vidhi is stated in this line; the takeaway is contemplative—seeing protection (rakṣā) and cosmic ascent (loka-gamana) as dependent on divine grace, a foundational attitude for Pāśupata-oriented devotion and inner surrender.