Shloka 30
शारभावतारवर्णनम्
Account of Śiva’s Śārabha Manifestation and the Measureless Avatāras
तथापि न निवृता रुड्ज्वाला नरहरेर्यदा । इष्टं प्राप्तास्ततो देवाश्शंकर शरणं ययुः
tathāpi na nivṛtā ruḍjvālā narahareryadā | iṣṭaṃ prāptāstato devāśśaṃkara śaraṇaṃ yayuḥ
Even so, when the fierce blazing energy of Narahari did not subside, the gods—having attained their desired aim—then went to Śaṅkara as their refuge.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Not a specific Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse establishes Śaṅkara as the ultimate śaraṇa (refuge) when other divine powers cannot fully quell the destructive blaze.
Significance: General tīrtha-logic: śaraṇāgati to Śiva is portrayed as the highest remedial act when cosmic imbalance persists.
FAQs
It teaches śaraṇāgati: even when a power is divinely sanctioned and one’s immediate aim is achieved, only surrender to Śaṅkara—the Pati, the ultimate Lord—brings true pacification and protection.
By portraying Śaṅkara as the living refuge who restores balance, the verse supports Saguna worship: devotees approach Shiva (often through the Liṅga as His accessible form) for grace that steadies fear, wrath, and cosmic disorder.
Adopt refuge-oriented japa such as the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offered with humble prayer; the practical takeaway is to seek Śiva’s grace for inner cooling and steadiness when agitation does not subside.