Shloka 8
ज्योतिर्लिङ्गमाहात्म्य-प्रस्तावना तथा सोमनाथ-प्रसङ्गः
Prologue to the Glory and Origin of the Jyotirliṅgas; Somnātha Episode Begins
सर्वास्वपि च पत्नीषु रोहिणीनाम या स्मृता । यथैका सा प्रिया चासीत्तथान्या न कदाचन
sarvāsvapi ca patnīṣu rohiṇīnāma yā smṛtā | yathaikā sā priyā cāsīttathānyā na kadācana
Unter allen Gemahlinnen war die, die man Rohiṇī nannte, einzig und allein die besonders Geliebte; wie nur sie teuer war, so war keine andere jemals so.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Sthala Purana: This verse belongs to the Dakṣa–Candra domestic-ethical narrative that later becomes causally relevant to Śiva’s interventions; it is not a Jyotirliṅga origin segment.
FAQs
It highlights how strong preference and attachment arise in worldly relationships, a theme often used in Shaiva teaching to point the mind away from partiality and toward steadiness in dharma and devotion to Pati (Shiva), the true refuge beyond changing affections.
By contrasting exclusive worldly affection with enduring divine refuge, the verse indirectly supports Saguna Shiva-bhakti expressed through Linga worship—training the heart to shift from fluctuating attachments to single-pointed devotion and reverence for Shiva as the स्थिर (steady) Lord.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate ekāgratā (one-pointedness) in japa—especially the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—so the mind’s tendency toward partiality is purified into steady devotion.