Shloka 22
ज्योतिर्लिङ्गमाहात्म्य-प्रस्तावना तथा सोमनाथ-प्रसङ्गः
Prologue to the Glory and Origin of the Jyotirliṅgas; Somnātha Episode Begins
गत्वापि तु तदा प्रोचुस्तद्वृत्तं निखिलं मुने । ब्रह्मणे ऋषयो देवा नत्वा नुत्वातिविह्वलाः
gatvāpi tu tadā procustadvṛttaṃ nikhilaṃ mune | brahmaṇe ṛṣayo devā natvā nutvātivihvalāḥ
Having gone there, O sage, the gods and the seers told Brahmā the entire account of what had occurred; and, bowing down and offering hymns of praise, they stood overwhelmed with emotion.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; depicts the protocol of approaching a higher authority with namaskāra and stuti during a cosmic disturbance.
Significance: Models devotional etiquette (praṇāma + stuti + truthful narration) as a means to obtain guidance; reinforces bhakti as a support in distress.
Type: stotra
Offering: pushpa
Cosmic Event: A curse-induced disorder is formally reported to Brahmā; the ‘overwhelmed’ state signals destabilization affecting loka-dharma.
FAQs
It highlights the Shaiva ethic of śaraṇāgati (surrender): even devas and ṛṣis approach higher wisdom with humility, conveying events truthfully and offering stuti and namaskāra—devotion that steadies the mind and aligns it with dharma.
The verse emphasizes bhakti expressed as bowing and hymns—core modes of Saguna worship used in Shiva tradition, including Linga pūjā where pranāma and stotra recitation accompany offerings and remembrance of Shiva’s grace.
A practical takeaway is daily namaskāra and stuti: bow with reverence and recite Shiva-stotras or the Panchakshara mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a composed yet heartfelt mind, as the devas and sages model.