Shloka 22

नन्दिकेश्वरोत्पत्तिः — Nandikesvara’s Origin, Shiva’s Boons, and the Rise of Sacred Rivers

Devanagari script

पूजितं यत्पुरा वत्स दैविकं नन्दिकेश्वर संसारस्य स्वभावो ऽयं सुखं दुःखं पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

pūjitaṃ yatpurā vatsa daivikaṃ nandikeśvara saṃsārasya svabhāvo 'yaṃ sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

爱子啊，那神圣的难提迦主（Nandikeśvara）在往昔曾受供奉礼拜。因为这正是轮回（saṃsāra）的本性：乐与苦一次又一次地在循环中生起。

Word by Word

• pūjitam: worshipped

• yat: which/that

• purā: formerly, in ancient times

• vatsa: dear child

• daivikam: divine, belonging to the gods

• nandikeśvaraḥ: Nandikeśvara (Śiva’s chief gaṇa and guardian of Śaiva discipline)

• saṃsārasya: of worldly transmigration

• svabhāvaḥ: inherent nature

• ayam: this

• sukham: happiness

• duḥkham: sorrow

• punaḥ punaḥ: again and again, repeatedly

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana; conveying the teaching as a general Shaiva instruction)

Characters & Entities

• Nandikeshvara
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Linga/Śaiva worship (here via Nandikeśvara) as a stabilizing refuge amid saṃsāra’s recurring swings of sukha and duḥkha, encouraging steady devotion rather than attachment to changing experiences.

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

By contrasting cyclical worldly experience with devotion to the divine Nandikeśvara, it implies Śiva-tattva as the Pati—constant and liberating—while the pashu (bound soul) is tossed by pasha (bondage) through repeated joy and grief.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Śaiva pūjā centered on Nandikeśvara (as the gateway to disciplined Śiva-bhakti) and the yogic takeaway of vairāgya—equanimity toward recurring pleasure and pain, aligning with Pāśupata-oriented detachment.