Shloka 87

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

भाति मध्ये गणानां च रथमध्ये गणेश्वरः नभस्यमलनक्षत्रे तारामध्य इवोडुराट्

Transliteration

bhāti madhye gaṇānāṃ ca rathamadhye gaṇeśvaraḥ nabhasyamalanakṣatre tārāmadhya ivoḍurāṭ

Translation

伽内湿伐罗（Gaṇeśvara）在伽那众中居中而耀，在车乘之中亦居中而辉；如同清净天穹的群星之间，月亮——众星之王——在中央放光。

Word by Word

• bhāti: shines

• madhye: in the middle

• gaṇānām: of the Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

• ca: and

• ratha-madhye: in the middle of the chariot

• gaṇeśvaraḥ: the Lord of the Gaṇas (Gaṇeśa/Gaṇeśvara)

• nabhasi: in the sky

• amala-nakṣatre: among spotless/pure constellations

• tārā-madhye: in the midst of the stars

• iva: like

• uḍu-rāṭ: king of luminaries (moon)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya, describing the divine retinue and Gaṇeśvara’s prominence)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganesha
• Ganas

FAQs

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

It elevates Gaṇeśvara as the foremost among Śiva’s attendants, implying that invoking him at the outset of Liṅga-pūjā stabilizes the rite by removing vighnas (obstacles) and aligning the pashu (worshipper) toward Pati (Śiva).

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

By portraying Gaṇeśvara’s radiance at the center of Śiva’s Gaṇas, it reflects Śiva-tattva as a luminous, ordering principle: Pati presides through divine agencies, arranging the cosmos and the sacred rite just as the moon orders the night-sky.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A practical takeaway is pūrva-vighna-śānti—beginning worship with Gaṇeśa/Gaṇeśvara remembrance before Śiva-liṅga upāsanā; yogically, it signifies centering the mind (madhya-sthāna) so the pashu loosens pāśa (bondage) through focused devotion.