Shloka 13
दधीचाश्रमगमनम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and Dadhīca’s Fearlessness
Kṣu’s Request
ब्रह्मोवाच । एवं श्रुत्वापि तद्वाक्यं विष्णोस्स तु महामुनिः । विहस्य निर्भयः प्राह दधीचश्शैवसत्तमः
brahmovāca | evaṃ śrutvāpi tadvākyaṃ viṣṇossa tu mahāmuniḥ | vihasya nirbhayaḥ prāha dadhīcaśśaivasattamaḥ
Brahmā said: Even after hearing those words of Viṣṇu, the great sage Dadhīca—best among the devotees of Śiva—laughed, and, fearless, spoke.
Brahma
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it narratively marks the fruit of Śiva-devotion: nirbhayatā (fearlessness) expressed as spontaneous laughter and confident speech.
Significance: Model of saintly demeanor: the Śaiva devotee remains unshaken in confrontations with other deities, indicating inner refuge in Śiva.
FAQs
It highlights the Shaiva ideal of निर्भयता (fearlessness): one established in devotion to Pati (Śiva) is not shaken by opposing words, but responds with calm certainty rooted in faith and inner clarity.
By calling Dadhīca the foremost Śaiva, the verse frames his fearlessness as arising from steadfast refuge in Śiva’s saguna grace (accessible worship and devotion), which in Shaiva Siddhanta is a practical means to stability and liberation.
The takeaway is cultivation of fearless steadiness through regular Śiva-upāsanā—especially japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and disciplined devotion—so one can speak and act without anxiety.