Shloka 26
भैरवावतारलीलावर्णनम् (Bhairava-avatāra-līlā-varṇanam) — “Narration of the Divine Play of Bhairava’s Descent”
नन्दीश्वर उवाच । एवमुक्तो महेशेन भैरवेण रमापतिः । स्मृत्वा किंचिन्नतशिराः पुनरेवमजिज्ञपत्
nandīśvara uvāca | evamukto maheśena bhairaveṇa ramāpatiḥ | smṛtvā kiṃcinnataśirāḥ punarevamajijñapat
Nandīśvara sprach: So von Maheśa in der Gestalt Bhairavas angesprochen, erinnerte sich Viṣṇu — der Herr der Ramā — an etwas; dann neigte er leicht das Haupt und fragte erneut auf diese Weise.
Nandīśvara (Nandi)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Bhairava
FAQs
It highlights the Shaiva Siddhanta virtue of vinaya (humility): even a great deity like Viṣṇu bows and asks again, showing that true knowledge of Pati (Śiva) is approached through reverence and sincere inquiry.
By naming Bhairava, the verse emphasizes Saguna Śiva—Śiva approachable in a definite form—before whom devotees (and even gods) submit and seek clarification, mirroring how worshippers approach the Liṅga with devotion and questions of dharma and liberation.
The implied practice is praṇāma (bowing) and smaraṇa (remembrance) before inquiry—begin japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with a bowed head and a recollected mind, then proceed to study or prayer for right understanding.