Shloka 30
Sunartaka-Naṭa Avatāra and Pārvatī’s Boon-Request (Śiva as the Testing Benefactor)
शैलो ददर्श तन्तत्र विष्णुरूपधरन्द्रुतम् । ततो ब्रह्मस्वरूपं च सूर्य्यरूपं ततः क्षणात्
śailo dadarśa tantatra viṣṇurūpadharandrutam | tato brahmasvarūpaṃ ca sūryyarūpaṃ tataḥ kṣaṇāt
There Śaila beheld Him swiftly assuming the form of Viṣṇu; then, in an instant, He appeared as Brahmā, and immediately thereafter as the Sun. Thus did the Supreme Lord reveal His manifold, limitless forms.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: A theophany of Śiva’s sarvātmakatva: He manifests as Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Sūrya to demonstrate that the functions attributed to other deities are encompassed within the Supreme Śiva.
Significance: Strengthens ekatva-bhakti: seeing all divine powers as expressions of Śiva leads to steadiness in worship and removal of sectarian doubt.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that the one Supreme Pati (Shiva) can manifest as any divine power—Viṣṇu, Brahmā, or Sūrya—showing His lordship over all functions of preservation, creation, and illumination, and guiding the devotee toward non-dual recognition of the One behind many forms.
The Linga signifies the formless, all-pervading Shiva, while Saguna forms appear for grace and devotion. This verse supports Linga-worship by showing that all recognizable deity-forms arise from the same Supreme Reality worshipped as Shiva.
Meditate on Shiva as the indwelling Lord of all deities while repeating the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and offer bilva leaves or bhasma with the understanding that every divine form is His manifestation.