Dāruvana-parīkṣā: Śaṅkara’s Test and the Linga’s Ritual-Theological Grounding
मंत्रोक्तेन विधानेन देवाश्च ऋषयस्तथा । चक्रुः प्रसन्नां गिरिजां शिवं च धर्महेतवे
maṃtroktena vidhānena devāśca ṛṣayastathā | cakruḥ prasannāṃ girijāṃ śivaṃ ca dharmahetave
Gemäß der in den Mantras vorgeschriebenen Ordnung vollzogen auch die Götter und die ṛṣi‑Weisen die Verehrung, erfreuten Girijā (Pārvatī) und Śiva und bewirkten so die Begründung und Bewahrung des Dharma.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Sthala Purana: Devas and ṛṣis perform mantra-governed worship to please Śiva and Girijā so that dharma may be re-established; the narrative frames ritual as a means for cosmic re-ordering through Śiva’s grace.
Significance: Models the Siddhānta principle that right ritual (kriyā) and right mantra (mantra) dispose the soul toward Śiva’s anugraha, which alone stabilizes dharma.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
It teaches that dharma is strengthened when worship is done with mantra, right method (vidhi), and sincere devotion—invoking Śiva and Girijā’s grace, which sustains cosmic order and supports liberation-oriented living in a Śaiva frame.
By emphasizing mantra-prescribed worship, it points to Saguna upāsanā—approaching Śiva through form and ritual (often centered on the Liṅga) so the Lord becomes ‘prasanna’ (gracious), granting dharmic stability and spiritual progress.
Mantra-vidhi worship: recitation of Śiva-mantras (commonly the Pañcākṣarī), paired with proper pūjā procedure and a dharma-intent—offering water, bilva leaves, and meditative remembrance to please Śiva and Pārvatī.