Shloka 22
Harīśvara-liṅga Mahimā and the Origin-Context of Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana (हरिश्वरलिङ्गमहिमा तथा सुदर्शनप्राप्तिकथा)
बभ्राम सकलां पृथ्वीं तत्प्रीत्यै सुदृढव्रतः । तदप्राप्य विशुद्धात्मा नेत्रमेकमुदाहरत्
babhrāma sakalāṃ pṛthvīṃ tatprītyai sudṛḍhavrataḥ | tadaprāpya viśuddhātmā netramekamudāharat
With an unshakable vow, he wandered over the whole earth to please Him (Lord Śiva). Yet, not attaining Him, that purified-souled one offered up one of his eyes.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga-specific legend in the quoted text. The episode culminates in the archetype of śaraṇāgati: when external means fail, the devotee offers the dearest ‘self’ (here, an eye) as the final upacāra, prompting Śiva’s grace.
Significance: Exemplifies the highest pilgrimage fruit: ego-surrender (ātma-nivedana) to Paśupati, which is portrayed as more potent than mere external offerings.
Role: liberating
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It portrays ekāgra-bhakti (one-pointed devotion): when external seeking fails, the devotee intensifies inner surrender, offering even what is most precious to please Śiva, the supreme Pati who grants grace to the purified heart.
In Kotirudrasaṃhitā, the seeker’s pilgrimage and quest culminate in recognition that Saguna Śiva—often approached as the Jyotirliṅga—responds not merely to travel but to total devotion and self-offering (ātma-samarpaṇa).
Steadfast vrata with focused japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and sincere inner offering (tyāga) is implied; the verse emphasizes intensity of surrender rather than a specific external rite.