Shloka 25
मेना-शिवदर्शन-प्रस्थानम् | Menā’s Quest to Behold Śiva
Departure for Śiva’s Darśana
तावदिन्द्रस्समायातस्ततोऽपि द्विगुणप्रभः । सर्वामरवरो नानादिव्यभस्त्रिदिवेश्वरः
tāvadindrassamāyātastato'pi dviguṇaprabhaḥ | sarvāmaravaro nānādivyabhastridiveśvaraḥ
Just then Indra arrived—his radiance doubled yet again. Foremost among the immortals, lord of the three worlds, he came adorned with many kinds of divine splendour and with sacred ash (vibhūti).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
Indra’s “doubled radiance” highlights that even the highest deva’s splendor is heightened by proximity to Shiva-tattva; worldly lordship shines only when aligned with devotion and divine grace.
By describing Indra as adorned with divine bhasma, the verse echoes Shaiva marks of reverence—external sovereignty (tridiveśvara) is portrayed as secondary to honoring Saguna Shiva through sacred signs and devotion.
It suggests the Shaiva practice of bhasma-dhāraṇa (applying sacred ash, ideally as tripuṇḍra) as a reminder of impermanence and as an act of devotion while remembering Shiva, such as with the Panchakshara mantra.