Shloka 41
Śiva-nāma-smaraṇa and Śambhu’s Protective Manifestation
Dāruka Episode
सूत उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा शंकरस्तत्र वीरसेनं हि दुःखह । कृत्वा कृपां च महतीं तत्रैवांतर्द्दधे प्रभुः
sūta uvāca | ityuktvā śaṃkarastatra vīrasenaṃ hi duḥkhaha | kṛtvā kṛpāṃ ca mahatīṃ tatraivāṃtarddadhe prabhuḥ
Sūta said: Having spoken thus, Śaṅkara—the remover of sorrow—showed great compassion there toward Vīrasena, and the Lord vanished from that very place.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Nāgeśvara
Sthala Purana: After granting assurance and compassion, Śiva ‘vanishes’ (antardadhe). This concealment (tirodhāna) is a classic kṣetra-līlā move preceding a more stable epiphany as Jyotirliṅga in the narrative sequence.
Significance: Teaches that absence after grace is not abandonment but tirodhāna that ripens the devotee’s adhikāra, culminating in enduring darśana through the liṅga.
FAQs
It highlights Shiva as duḥkhahā—the remover of sorrow—who responds to the devotee with compassion, indicating that divine grace (anugraha) is central to liberation and inner peace in Shaiva thought.
The Lord’s appearing and vanishing emphasizes Saguna Shiva’s compassionate, accessible presence in sacred narratives; in Linga worship, devotees approach the same Shiva through a stable sacred form while trusting His unseen, guiding grace.
A practical takeaway is to meditate on Shiva as “duḥkhahā” while repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), seeking compassion and removal of sorrow—especially during Jyotirlinga pilgrimage or Mahashivratri worship.