Shloka 29
गौतमविघ्नप्रकरणम्
Episode of Obstacles to Gautama; Gaṇeśa’s Appearing Through Misguided Worship
गौतमस्य च केदारे तत्रासन्व्रीहयो यवाः । गणेशस्तत्र गौर्भूत्वा जगाम किल दुर्बला
gautamasya ca kedāre tatrāsanvrīhayo yavāḥ | gaṇeśastatra gaurbhūtvā jagāma kila durbalā
Auf Gautamas Kedāra-Feld gab es Reis und Gerste. Dort ging Gaṇeśa, der die Gestalt einer Kuh angenommen hatte, umher, als wäre er schwach und kraftlos.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha
Sthala Purana: The verse uses ‘kedāra’ as Gautama’s cultivated field; while not the Kedāranātha Jyotirliṅga episode itself, the term invites a Kedāra resonance: a sanctified ‘field’ where dharma is tested and later purified through Śiva’s grace in broader Śaiva sacred geography.
Significance: Kedāranātha darśana is traditionally linked with purification of heavy karmas and steadiness in tapas; here, ‘kedāra’ functions symbolically as the kṣetra where pāśa (bondage) is activated through deception.
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse sets up a sacred narrative around Kedāra, showing how divine agencies (here, Gaṇeśa) operate within dharmic settings. In Shaiva understanding, such episodes prepare the ground for revealing Śiva’s grace at a Jyotirliṅga and the testing/refinement of devotees’ faith and discernment.
Kotirudra Saṃhitā emphasizes Jyotirliṅga pilgrimage and Saguna Śiva’s accessible grace. By anchoring the story in Kedāra (a Jyotirliṅga context), the narrative points toward the Liṅga as the tangible focus where the devotee encounters Śiva’s presence and receives purification and merit.
As a Kedāra/Jyotirliṅga context, the practical takeaway is Liṅgārcana with the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with simple Shaiva observances—bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and steady bhakti—especially during pilgrimage or Mahāśivarātri vrata.