Shloka 1
अवंतीस्थ-ब्राह्मणकथा तथा तृतीय-ज्योतिर्लिङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावना
Avanti Brahmin Narrative and Prelude to the Third Jyotirliṅga
ऋषय ऊचुः । सूत सर्वं विजानासि वस्तु व्यास प्रसादतः । ज्योतिषां च कथां श्रुत्वा तृप्तिर्नैव प्रजायते
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | sūta sarvaṃ vijānāsi vastu vyāsa prasādataḥ | jyotiṣāṃ ca kathāṃ śrutvā tṛptirnaiva prajāyate
The sages said: “O Sūta, by the grace of Vyāsa you know every matter in its truth. Yet even after hearing the sacred account of the Jyotis—the Jyotirliṅgas—no satisfaction arises within us at all.”
The sages (ṛṣis) of Naimiṣāraṇya
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, having heard earlier Jyotirliṅga narratives, confess that their longing is not yet satisfied and seek further revelation—setting the frame for the next Jyotirliṅga account.
Significance: Śravaṇa (devout listening) to Jyotirliṅga-kathā is presented as spiritually inexhaustible; the sages’ ‘non-satiation’ signals ever-deepening bhakti and readiness for further upadeśa.
FAQs
It portrays the bhakta’s holy “unfulfilled fullness”: even after hearing about Shiva’s luminous Jyotirliṅga manifestations, the sages’ yearning increases, showing that śravaṇa (devotional listening) deepens devotion and draws the soul toward Pati (Shiva).
By mentioning the “Jyotis,” the verse points to Saguna Shiva worship through the Jyotirliṅga—Shiva’s accessible, grace-filled form—whose kathā and darśana nourish devotion yet also intensify longing for closer communion.
The implied practice is śravaṇa and kathā-sevā: regularly hearing and reciting Jyotirliṅga narratives with bhakti, ideally alongside japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and Linga-dhyāna.