Shloka 35
अध्याय ४९ — विवाहानुष्ठाने ब्रह्मणः काममोहः
Brahmā’s Enchantment by Desire during the Wedding Rites
ऋषयो बहवो जाता वालखिल्यास्सहस्रशः । कणकैस्तैश्च वीर्यस्य प्रज्वलद्भिः स्वतेजसा
ṛṣayo bahavo jātā vālakhilyāssahasraśaḥ | kaṇakaistaiśca vīryasya prajvaladbhiḥ svatejasā
Then, by the potency of that virile energy, countless sages were born—thousands upon thousands of the Vālakhilyas—tiny in form yet blazing with their own innate radiance, like sparks of gold.
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadyojata
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it is an origin statement for the Vālakhilya ṛṣis as emanations from Śiva’s vīrya-tejas, portrayed as ‘golden sparks’ becoming living seers.
Significance: Highlights the sanctity of tapas and brahmatejas as Śiva-derived; inspires pilgrimage to tapas-sthānas/āśramas rather than a specific liṅga-site.
Role: creative
FAQs
It highlights that purified potency (vīrya/śakti) can manifest as beings of tapas: the Vālakhilyas symbolize concentrated spiritual effort and inner tejas, pointing to the Shaiva ideal that grace and disciplined austerity together generate luminous wisdom.
The imagery of ‘sparks’ and ‘inner radiance’ aligns with Saguna Shiva as the source of śakti and tejas in creation; Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana often frames Shiva as the luminous, generative principle from whom manifested orders—like rishis—arise.
The verse implicitly recommends tapas with purity and restraint—supported in Shaiva practice by japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and meditation on inner tejas, along with simple disciplines like bhasma-dhāraṇa and steady daily worship.