Shloka 30
एकोनविंशतिशिवावतारवर्णनम्
Description of the Nineteen Manifestations/Avatāras of Śiva
द्वाविंशे परिवर्ते तु व्यासः शुष्मायणो यदा । तदाप्यहं भविष्यामि वाराणस्यां महामुनिः
dvāviṃśe parivarte tu vyāsaḥ śuṣmāyaṇo yadā | tadāpyahaṃ bhaviṣyāmi vārāṇasyāṃ mahāmuniḥ
In the twenty-second cycle, when the Vyāsa will be Śuṣmāyaṇa, then I too shall appear in Vārāṇasī—O great sage—as a great ascetic.
Lord Shiva (prophesying about His manifestation in Kāśī within the Śatarudra narrative)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Kāśī/Vārāṇasī is Śiva’s eternal kṣetra where he grants liberation; Purāṇic tradition holds that mere residence, death, or remembrance there leads to mokṣa through Śiva’s saving instruction (tāraka-upadeśa). This verse’s prophecy of Śiva ‘appearing in Vārāṇasī’ aligns with that kṣetra-mahātmyam.
Significance: Darśana of Viśvanātha and kṣetra-smaraṇa are said to confer pāpa-kṣaya and, ultimately, liberation by Śiva’s grace (anugraha).
Role: liberating
Cosmic Event: parivarta (cycle) count: 22nd; yuga-cycle succession
FAQs
The verse presents Shiva’s compassionate governance of time: across cosmic cycles He manifests through sacred places like Kāśī to guide beings (paśu) beyond bondage (pāśa) toward liberation by His lordship (Pati).
By declaring His appearance in Vārāṇasī, Shiva emphasizes Saguna accessibility—devotees can approach Him through holy kṣetras and forms of worship (including Liṅga-sevā), receiving grace that leads toward the transcendent (Nirguṇa) realization.
A practical takeaway is Kāśī-smaraṇa (remembrance of Kāśī and Shiva) with japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and reverent Liṅga worship, supported by traditional aids like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa where appropriate.