Shloka 28
Śiva-nāma-smaraṇa and Śambhu’s Protective Manifestation
Dāruka Episode
अत्र मे वर्णधर्मस्थो दर्शनं प्रीतिसंयुतम् । करिष्यति च यो वै स चक्रवर्ती भविष्यति
atra me varṇadharmastho darśanaṃ prītisaṃyutam | kariṣyati ca yo vai sa cakravartī bhaviṣyati
Whoever, established in the duties of their varṇa and āśrama, comes here and beholds Me with loving devotion—he indeed shall become a cakravartin, a universal sovereign.
Lord Shiva (promising the fruit of darśana at the Jyotirlinga/holy tirtha, as narrated by Suta Goswami)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Kṣetra-phala declaration: Śiva promises worldly sovereignty (cakravartitva) to those who, while established in varṇāśrama-dharma, obtain loving darśana at this place—typical of sthala-māhātmya where darśana yields both bhoga and (implicitly) mokṣa when aligned with dharma.
Significance: Darśana with prīti, grounded in dharma, yields ‘aiśvarya’ (cakravartin fruit) and signals Śiva’s anugraha operating through sacred place and right conduct.
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
The verse teaches that Shiva’s grace is accessed through prīti-yukta darśana—devotional beholding—while remaining rooted in dharma; worldly sovereignty here points to the ordered power and auspiciousness that arise when life aligns with Shiva and righteous conduct.
In the Kotirudra context, “darśana” is primarily the sacred encounter with Saguna Shiva as the Jyotirlinga; seeing the Linga with devotion is treated as direct contact with Shiva’s presence, bringing tangible and spiritual upliftment.
Undertake Jyotirlinga darśana with devotion while observing one’s dharma—offer water and bilva leaves, recite the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and maintain purity and restraint during pilgrimage or vrata.