Shloka 15
अन्धक-प्रश्नः — Inquiry into Andhaka
Genealogy and Nature
स एकदा मंदरनामधेयं गतो नगे तद्वरसुप्रभावात् । तत्रापि मानागणवीरमुख्यैश्शिवासमेतो विजहार भूरि
sa ekadā maṃdaranāmadheyaṃ gato nage tadvarasuprabhāvāt | tatrāpi mānāgaṇavīramukhyaiśśivāsameto vijahāra bhūri
Once, by the excellent power of that boon, he went to the mountain famed as Mandara. There too, accompanied by Śiva and by the foremost heroic leaders of His gaṇas, he sported and enjoyed greatly.
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Sthala Purana: Mandara-parvata becomes the divine pleasure-mountain where Śiva and Śivā roam with the gaṇas; the episode sets the stage for a cosmic consequence of līlā (play) rather than a Jyotirliṅga manifestation.
Significance: Contemplation of Śiva-Śakti līlā: remembering that even divine play instructs the bound soul (paśu) about dependence on Pati and the peril of ignorance (tamas).
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It highlights Śiva’s saguna līlā—divine play that is untouched by karma—inviting the devotee to remember the Lord with bhakti and recognize that true sovereignty lies in Pati (Śiva), while boons and powers remain subordinate to His will.
The verse emphasizes personal, manifest (saguna) Śiva with Śivā and the gaṇas; such narration supports devotional worship where devotees approach Śiva through form—commonly the Śivaliṅga—as the accessible focus for remembrance, pūjā, and surrender.
A practical takeaway is līlā-smaraṇa with japa: meditate on Śiva with Śivā while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” optionally with rudrākṣa japa and vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) as aids to steady devotion.