Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 28
कौशिकी-गौरी तथा शार्दूलरूप-निशाचरस्य पूर्वकर्मवर्णनम् | Kauśikī-Gaurī and Brahmā’s account of the tiger-formed niśācara
पुरस्कृत्य च तं व्याघ्रं स्नेहात्पुत्रमिवौरसम् । देहस्य प्रभया चैव दीपयन्ती दिशो दश
puraskṛtya ca taṃ vyāghraṃ snehātputramivaurasam | dehasya prabhayā caiva dīpayantī diśo daśa
Indem sie jenen tigerhaften Helden an die Spitze stellte, schritt sie aus Zuneigung weiter, als wäre er ihr eigener Sohn; und durch den Glanz ihres Leibes schien sie die zehn Himmelsrichtungen zu erleuchten.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: The motif of ‘illumining the ten directions’ resonates with Viśvanātha as Lord of the universe whose presence is experienced as all-pervasive light; the narrative’s radiance imagery aligns with Kāśī’s theology of Śiva as luminous refuge.
Significance: Experiencing Śiva as all-pervading light and protector; pilgrimage/darśana is said to confer purification and assurance of Śiva’s grace.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: creative
Offering: dipa
FAQs
The verse highlights the mark of sāttvika, grace-filled presence: affection that is pure (like a mother’s love) and an inner radiance that symbolically “lights the ten directions,” suggesting spiritual auspiciousness and the spreading of dharma through proximity to the divine.
In Saguna Shiva devotion, divine qualities are recognized through signs such as compassion, protection, and tejas (splendor). This verse uses tejas as an outward sign of inner spiritual power—akin to how devotees perceive Shiva’s presence through the sanctity and luminosity associated with Linga worship and holy places.
A takeaway is dhyāna on tejas: contemplate Shiva’s auspicious light while repeating the Panchakshara mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), cultivating affection (bhakti) and protective goodwill toward beings—inner purity that becomes ‘radiant’ in conduct.