Shloka 40

Adhyaya 71: पुरत्रयवृत्तान्तः—ब्रह्मवरदानम्, मयकृतत्रिपुर-निर्माणम्, विष्णुमाया-धर्मविघ्नः, शिवस्तुति, त्रिपुरदाहोपक्रमः

Devanagari script

सो ऽपि नारायणः श्रीमान् चिन्तयामास चेतसा किं कार्यं देवकार्येषु भगवानिति स प्रभुः

Transliteration

so 'pi nārāyaṇaḥ śrīmān cintayāmāsa cetasā kiṃ kāryaṃ devakāryeṣu bhagavāniti sa prabhuḥ

Translation

其时，光耀的那罗延（Nārāyaṇa）亦在心中思惟：“为诸天之事，当行何举？”——这位具福的主宰、至上统御者如是思量。

Word by Word

• saḥ api: he too

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)

• śrīmān: illustrious, endowed with auspiciousness

• cintayāmāsa: reflected, deliberated

• cetasā: with the mind/heart

• kim: what

• kāryam: to be done, duty, action

• deva-kāryeṣu: in the affairs/tasks of the gods

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord

• iti: thus

• saḥ: he

• prabhuḥ: the sovereign, lord

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating; internal thought of Narayana)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Narayana
• Devas

FAQs

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

It frames a cosmic problem-solving moment where even Nārāyaṇa seeks the right course for the devas—typically resolved in the Linga Purana through turning toward the supreme Pati (Śiva) and his Linga as the decisive principle of order and grace.

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

Indirectly: by showing that divine agencies deliberate over “deva-kārya,” the text implies a higher governing reality beyond ordinary function—read in Shaiva Siddhānta as Śiva-tattva, the Pati whose icchā-śakti ultimately enables the resolution of cosmic duties.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights inner deliberation (cintā) as a prerequisite to right action; in a Shaiva reading, such discernment culminates in Śiva-upāsanā—Linga-pūjā and Pāśupata-oriented reliance on Pati to remove pāśa (bondage) and restore dharma.