Shloka 16
Dāruvana-parīkṣā: Śaṅkara’s Test and the Linga’s Ritual-Theological Grounding
यदा च नोक्तवान्किंचित्सोवधूतो दिगम्बरः । ऊचुस्तं पुरुषं भीमं तदा ते परमर्षयः
yadā ca noktavānkiṃcitsovadhūto digambaraḥ | ūcustaṃ puruṣaṃ bhīmaṃ tadā te paramarṣayaḥ
When that sky-clad avadhūta spoke nothing at all, then those supreme sages addressed that formidable man.
Suta Goswami (narrator describing the sages’ action)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Bhairava
Sthala Purana: The ‘digambara avadhūta’ motif is a common Purāṇic marker of Śiva’s incognito descent; it often precedes a liṅga manifestation, but this verse itself does not anchor to a named jyotirliṅga.
FAQs
The verse highlights mauna (silence) and avadhūta-bhāva as signs of inner freedom—detachment from worldly identity—pointing toward Shiva as Pati, the liberator who dissolves bonds (pāśa) when the mind rests in renunciation.
In Jyotirlinga contexts, the devotee approaches Saguna Shiva with reverence, yet the ideal maturity of worship culminates in inner stillness; the avadhūta’s silence mirrors the contemplative absorption that Linga-upāsanā is meant to awaken.
A practical takeaway is mauna with japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and steady dhyāna on Shiva—optionally supported by vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids to purity and recollection.