Shloka 5
दधीचाश्रमगमनम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and Dadhīca’s Fearlessness
Kṣu’s Request
दधीच उवाच । ज्ञातं तवेप्सितं विप्र क्षुवकार्यार्थमागतः । भगवान् विप्ररूपेण मायी त्वमसि वै हरिः
dadhīca uvāca | jñātaṃ tavepsitaṃ vipra kṣuvakāryārthamāgataḥ | bhagavān viprarūpeṇa māyī tvamasi vai hariḥ
Dadhīca said: “O Brahmin, I have understood what you seek—you have come here for the barber’s task. Truly, you are Bhagavān Hari (Viṣṇu) himself, the wondrous wielder of māyā, appearing in the form of a Brahmin.”
Dadhichi
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
The verse highlights jñāna-dṛṣṭi (spiritual discernment): a realized sage recognizes the Divine beyond external costume, showing that truth is grasped by inner awareness rather than mere appearance—an outlook harmonious with Shaiva Siddhānta’s emphasis on right knowledge leading toward liberation.
By stressing that the Lord may be approached through forms (saguṇa) while remaining deeper than form, the verse supports the devotional principle behind Liṅga worship: the devotee honors a visible symbol while cultivating insight into the indwelling, transcendent Reality.
The takeaway is meditative discrimination (viveka) during worship—repeat a Shiva mantra such as the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating that the Divine can appear through any form, keeping the mind steady and free from superficial judgments.