Shloka 15
भैरवावतारवर्णनम् (Bhairavāvatāra-varṇanam) — “Description of the Descent/Manifestation of Bhairava”
नन्दीश्वर उवाच । तस्यैवं वदतो धातुर्विष्णुस्तत्र स्थितो मुने । प्रोवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं संक्रुद्धो मोहितोऽजया
nandīśvara uvāca | tasyaivaṃ vadato dhāturviṣṇustatra sthito mune | provāca prahasanvākyaṃ saṃkruddho mohito'jayā
Nandīśvara sprach: „O Weiser, während Dhātā (Brahmā) so redete, äußerte Viṣṇu, der dort stand, lachend einige Worte; doch innerlich war er erzürnt und von Ajā (der ungeborenen Māyā) verblendet.“
Nandishvara (Nandi)
Tattva Level: pasha
Sthala Purana: This is a narrative hinge: māyā (Ajā) causes delusion and rivalry even among high deities, illustrating tirodhāna (concealment) prior to anugraha (clarifying grace).
Significance: Teaches pilgrims to avoid sectarian pride: even Viṣṇu can be ‘mohita’ under Ajā; humility and seeking Śiva’s anugraha are emphasized.
FAQs
It highlights the Shaiva teaching that even exalted deities can be veiled by Māyā—manifesting as anger and pride—while true clarity arises through Shiva’s grace and right knowledge.
By showing Viṣṇu and Brahmā affected by Māyā, the verse prepares the devotee to seek the higher refuge—Shiva as the supreme Pati—often approached through Saguna worship such as the Shiva-Linga, which disciplines the mind and dissolves ego.
A practical takeaway is to counter anger and delusion with Shiva-japa—especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—along with steady devotion and self-restraint, which are repeatedly praised in Shaiva practice.