Nara-Narayana’s Tapas, Indra’s Temptation, and the Burning of Kama: The Origin of Ananga and the Shiva-Linga Episode
ततः पपात देवस्य लिङ्गं पृथ्वीं विदारयन् अन्तर्द्धानं जगामाथ त्रिशूली नीललोहितः
tataḥ papāta devasya liṅgaṃ pṛthvīṃ vidārayan antarddhānaṃ jagāmātha triśūlī nīlalohitaḥ
ثم سقط لِنْغُ الإله، فشقَّ الأرض؛ وعندئذٍ اختفى نيلالوهِيتا حاملُ الرمح الثلاثي عن الأنظار.
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Divinity is not compelled by human passions—whether desire or anger. Śiva’s ‘antardhāna’ suggests that the sacred cannot be grasped or controlled; when approached through agitation, it withdraws, leaving behind consequences that must be understood and resolved through insight and right conduct.
Again, this is carita/ākhyāna (episode). It can also serve an etiological role for later tīrtha/ritual explanations (why a place becomes sacred due to earth-splitting liṅga impact), though such localization is not present in the given verses.
The falling liṅga ‘splitting the earth’ symbolizes the overwhelming, world-affecting potency of the divine sign (liṅga) and of ṛṣi-vāk. Nīlalohita’s disappearance underscores Rudra’s liminal, ungraspable nature—present as power, yet not confined to form.