Shloka 71

देवैर्विष्णोः शरणागमनम्—शिवलिङ्गस्थापनं, शिवसहस्रनामस्तवः, सुदर्शनचक्रप्रदानं च

Devanagari script

नृत्यप्रियो नृत्यनृत्यः प्रकाशात्मा प्रतापनः बुद्धस्पष्टाक्षरो मन्त्रः सन्मानः सारसंप्लवः

Transliteration

nṛtyapriyo nṛtyanṛtyaḥ prakāśātmā pratāpanaḥ buddhaspaṣṭākṣaro mantraḥ sanmānaḥ sārasaṃplavaḥ

Translation

祂喜悦宇宙之舞；亦是舞中之舞。祂的本体为清净之光；祂点燃灵耀之辉。祂是曼陀罗真言，其音节为觉醒之智所明了；祂赐真实之荣；并使众生渡越轮回洪流，归于精髓。

Word by Word

• नृत्यप्रियः: lover of dance (Nataraja aspect)

• नृत्यनृत्यः: the dance within dance, the inner mover of all rhythms

• प्रकाशात्मा: whose very Self is Light (cit-prakāśa)

• प्रतापनः: the one who blazes, energizes, and purifies (tapas/tejas)

• बुद्ध: awakened intelligence, enlightened awareness

• स्पष्ट: clear, manifest

• अक्षरः: syllable/imperishable sound-unit

• मन्त्रः: sacred formula that protects by contemplation

• सन्मानः: true honor, right reverence, bestower of noble esteem

• सार: essence/quintessence

• संप्लवः: flood, deluge, overwhelming current (of saṃsāra) / the crossing-over from it

Speaker

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

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga as the luminous Pati (Lord) who is both stillness and cosmic dynamism—worship is not merely external offering but attunement to Shiva as inner light (prakāśa) and mantra-sound (akṣara) that ferries the pashu beyond saṃsāra.

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

Shiva-tattva is presented as self-luminous consciousness (prakāśātmā) and transformative power (pratāpanaḥ), simultaneously immanent as the rhythmic mover of all activity (nṛtyanṛtyaḥ) and transcendent as the imperishable mantra-principle (akṣara-mantra) known through awakened buddhi.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-upāsanā aligned with Pashupata Yoga is implied: clarity of akṣara through purified buddhi, reverent conduct (sanmāna), and meditative absorption in Shiva as Light—this is the inner practice that loosens pāśa (bondage) and enables crossing the saṃplava of saṃsāra.