Shloka 95

वासिष्ठकथनम् (आदित्य–सोमवंशवर्णनम् तथा रुद्रसहस्रनाम-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

ऋतुरृतुकरस्तालो मधुर्मधुकरो वरः वानस्पत्यो वाजसनो नित्यमाश्रमपूजितः

Transliteration

ṛturṛtukarastālo madhurmadhukaro varaḥ vānaspatyo vājasano nityamāśramapūjitaḥ

Translation

祂是季节（Ṛtu）本身，也是造就诸季者；祂是塔拉（Tāla），节律与尺度。祂是甘甜本体，亦是生出甘甜者，如蜂采蜜；至上殊胜者。祂是草木与林野之主，赐予祭祀滋养者；祂恒常受诸隐修林（āśrama）礼敬——帕提（Pati），一切帕舒（paśu，众魂）的归依处。

Word by Word

• ऋतुः (ṛtuḥ): season, cosmic order in time

• ऋतुकरः (ṛtukaraḥ): maker/ordainer of seasons

• तालः (tālaḥ): rhythm, measure, cadence (also regulated time)

• मधुः (madhuḥ): honey, sweetness, delight

• मधुकरः (madhukaraḥ): honey-maker, bee (also one who produces sweetness)

• वरः (varaḥ): best, excellent, boon-giver

• वानस्पत्यः (vānaspatyaḥ): lord of plants/trees, vegetation principle

• वाजसनः (vājasanaḥ): giver of vāja (strength/food), provider of sacrificial nourishment

• नित्यम् (nityam): always, eternally

• आश्रमपूजितः (āśramapūjitaḥ): worshipped in āśramas (hermitages), revered by ascetics

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Sahasranama within the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva-as-Linga as the immanent Pati who pervades time (seasons), measure (tāla), and life-sustaining nourishment (vāja, vegetation). Thus Linga-pūjā is not merely temple-ritual but recognition of Shiva’s presence in ṛta, yajña, and the living world.

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

Shiva-tattva is shown as both transcendent and immanent: He is the ordainer of cosmic cycles (ṛtukara) and simultaneously the sweetness within experience (madhu) and the sustaining power within nature (vānaspatya, vājasana). As Pati, He governs pashus without being bound by pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse points to āśrama-centered worship—regular pūjā and japa by ascetics—where the yogin contemplates Shiva as the inner regulator of breath/time (tāla, ṛtu) and as the sustainer received through yajña-like discipline (vājasana).