Shloka 25
युद्धप्रस्थान-वर्णनम्
Departure to the Battlefield and the Śaiva Overlordship over the Devas
स्तंभांतो वीक्षितो धात्रा तत्र साक्ष्यहमच्युत । इत्युक्त्वा केतकं तत्र प्रणनाम पुनः नः । असत्यमपि शस्तं स्यादापदीत्यनुशासनम्
staṃbhāṃto vīkṣito dhātrā tatra sākṣyahamacyuta | ityuktvā ketakaṃ tatra praṇanāma punaḥ naḥ | asatyamapi śastaṃ syādāpadītyanuśāsanam
Als der Schöpfer Brahmā das Ende der Säule erblickte, sprach er dort: „O Acyuta (Viṣṇu), ich bin der Zeuge.“ So redend verneigte er sich abermals an jenem Ort vor der Ketakī-Blüte. So erging die Mahnung: „Selbst Unwahrheit kann in Zeiten der Not als annehmbar erscheinen.“
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava
Sthala Purana: Brahmā falsely claims to have seen the end of the pillar and presents Ketakī as supporting witness before Viṣṇu; this becomes the basis for Ketakī’s later disqualification in liṅga-pūjā in many retellings.
Significance: Functions as a moral-ritual charter: worship must be grounded in satya; deceit obstructs anugraha and leads to ritual exclusion motifs (Ketakī taboo).
Cosmic Event: Crisis of truth in the Liṅgodbhava contest; dharma distorted under ‘āpadi’ rationalization
FAQs
It highlights how ego can distort dharma: even exalted beings may justify wrongdoing, but in Shaiva understanding the Linga (Shiva as Pati) stands beyond such claims, revealing that liberation comes through humility and truth-oriented devotion.
The pillar episode centers on the Linga as Shiva’s manifest sign (saguṇa upāsanā leading to nirguṇa insight). The attempt to establish “witness” through Ketakī underscores that Linga-worship demands inner integrity, not merely outward assertion or status.
Practice satya (truthfulness) alongside Linga-pūjā: recite the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with a vow of honesty, and offer worship with pure intention (śuddha-bhāva), avoiding offerings or speech rooted in deceit.