Shloka 33
Gaṅgā-Avataraṇa and the Naming of Gaṅgādvāra (गङ्गावतरणम्—गङ्गाद्वारप्रसिद्धिः)
ततस्स गौतमो भीतो गौर्हतेति बभूव ह । चकार विस्मयं नार्यहल्याशिष्यैश्शिवानुगः
tatassa gautamo bhīto gaurhateti babhūva ha | cakāra vismayaṃ nāryahalyāśiṣyaiśśivānugaḥ
Then Gautama grew afraid, thinking, “A cow has been slain!” And the devotee of Śiva—having been instructed by the lady Ahalyā—was filled with astonishment.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
FAQs
It highlights the shock of perceived sin (go-hatya) and the awakening of conscience, which in Shaiva Siddhanta becomes a doorway to purification through Shiva’s grace and right expiation.
The narrative frame in Kotirudra Samhita typically turns human error and fear into a movement toward Saguna Shiva worship—approaching Shiva through tangible rites (often centered on the Linga) to remove impurity (mala) and restore dharma.
The implied takeaway is prāyaścitta with Shiva-bhakti—Linga worship with mantra-japa (especially “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with purity disciplines such as bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and prayerful repentance, as appropriate to one’s tradition.