Shloka 51
रावणस्य तपः-शिवानुग्रहः — Rāvaṇa’s Austerity and Śiva’s Bestowal of Grace
मामेति व्याहरत् प्रीत्या द्रुतं वै भक्तवत्सलः । प्रसन्नश्च वरं ब्रूहि ददामि मनसेप्सितम्
māmeti vyāharat prītyā drutaṃ vai bhaktavatsalaḥ | prasannaśca varaṃ brūhi dadāmi manasepsitam
The Lord, ever affectionate to His devotees, quickly and lovingly uttered, “Mine!” Then, being graciously pleased, He said: “Speak your boon—I shall grant what your heart desires.”
Lord Shiva (as Bhaktavatsala, addressing a devotee within the Jyotirlinga narrative frame)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Following the jyoti-manifestation, Śiva personally claims the devotee (‘mām/ mine’) and invites the articulation of a boon—an explicit dramatization of prasāda and anugraha.
Significance: Teaches that the highest ‘fruit’ of tīrtha/arcana is not merely merit but Śiva’s personal acceptance (svīkāra) and readiness to bestow grace.
Mantra: मामेति (mām iti) — a brief divine utterance of acceptance, functioning as a narrative ‘prasāda-vākya’ rather than a formal mantra.
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
FAQs
It highlights Shiva’s role as Bhaktavatsala—He is moved by sincere devotion and responds with grace, inviting the devotee to ask for a boon aligned with the heart’s deepest aspiration.
In Jyotirlinga-centered devotion, Shiva is approached as Saguna—the compassionate Lord who becomes accessible through love and surrender, and who actively blesses the devotee’s spiritual and worldly needs.
Loving remembrance and prayerful address to Shiva—especially japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with bhakti—culminating in a clear, sattvic sankalpa (heartfelt intention) offered to the Lord.