Shloka 29
पूर्वगतिवर्णनम् (Pūrvagati-varṇana) — “Description of the Prior Course / Earlier Lineage Account”
धन्या प्रिया द्वितीया तु योगिनी जनकस्य च । तस्याः कन्या महालक्ष्मीर्नाम्ना सीता भविष्यति
dhanyā priyā dvitīyā tu yoginī janakasya ca | tasyāḥ kanyā mahālakṣmīrnāmnā sītā bhaviṣyati
Janaka’s second beloved queen was Dhanyā, a yoginī. From her a daughter will be born—Mahālakṣmī herself—who will be known by the name Sītā.
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pasha
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Kāśī is famed as the place where Śiva grants liberation and sustains the world-order; the verse’s Lakṣmī/Sītā identification evokes dharma-sustaining royal order, thematically consonant with Kāśī Viśvanātha as the axis of worldly stability and spiritual release.
Significance: Pilgrimage is held to stabilize dharma and grant both worldly well-being and the promise of liberation through Śiva’s grace.
Shakti Form: Lalitā
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It frames Sītā not merely as a historical princess but as a divine śakti-manifestation (Mahālakṣmī), showing how the Purāṇa reads worldly lineage as a vehicle for the descent of divine power within dharmic order.
By presenting Mahālakṣmī’s manifestation within a royal household, the text reinforces Saguna devotion: the Supreme is approached through recognizable divine forms and their līlās, which in Shaiva reading ultimately support reverence to Śiva as Pati, the Lord of all śaktis.
No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; the practical takeaway is to cultivate yogic discipline and devotion in household life—supporting daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and worship with vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) as Shaiva grounding practices.