Shloka 23
Yatinātha-līlā: Śiva’s Test of the Bhilla Devotees at Arbuda Mountain
इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा हितं मत्वा स्वयं यतिः । चितां व्यरचयत्सा हि प्रविवेश स्वधर्मतः
iti tadvacanaṃ śrutvā hitaṃ matvā svayaṃ yatiḥ | citāṃ vyaracayatsā hi praviveśa svadharmataḥ
Hearing those words, the ascetic—deeming them wholesome and beneficial—personally prepared the funeral pyre and then entered it, acting in accordance with the dharma she understood as her own.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It highlights unwavering resolve in svadharma: after receiving guidance, the renunciant acts decisively, showing detachment from the body and trust in the higher good—an inward movement toward liberation under Shiva’s supreme lordship (Pati).
Though the verse narrates an act of renunciation rather than a ritual, its Shaiva thrust is surrender to Shiva’s order: Saguna Shiva is the gracious Lord who guides beings toward purity and release; the true “offering” is ego and attachment, which is the inner counterpart of Linga-worship.
The practical takeaway is vairagya and sankalpa (firm intent): cultivate daily self-offering through japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and contemplation on impermanence, rather than imitating the literal act described.