Shloka 41
एकोनविंशतिशिवावतारवर्णनम्
Description of the Nineteen Manifestations/Avatāras of Śiva
सप्तविंशे यदा व्यासो जातूकर्ण्यो भविष्यति । प्रभासतीर्थमाश्रित्य सोमशर्मा तदाप्यहम्
saptaviṃśe yadā vyāso jātūkarṇyo bhaviṣyati | prabhāsatīrthamāśritya somaśarmā tadāpyaham
In the twenty-seventh turn, when Vyāsa becomes Jātūkarṇya, then I too—becoming Somaśarmā—shall dwell, taking refuge at the sacred Prabhāsa tīrtha.
Lord Shiva (narrating his own future manifestation/identity within the sacred geography of tīrthas)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Somanātha
Sthala Purana: Prabhāsa is the famed tīrtha where Soma (the Moon) is traditionally said to have worshipped Śiva to be relieved of decline/curse, leading to the manifestation revered as Somanātha; the verse situates Śiva’s presence at Prabhāsa in a future cycle under the name Somaśarmā.
Significance: Darśana at Prabhāsa/Somanātha is classically associated with purification, restoration, and Śiva’s grace; here it also signifies Śiva’s abiding accessibility across ages at a major tīrtha.
Offering: pushpa
Cosmic Event: Age-cycle forecasting (27th turn) with kṣetra-localization at Prabhāsa
FAQs
It affirms Shiva’s continuing, compassionate accessibility across cycles of time: even as ages change and Vyasas change, the Lord remains present through sacred tīrthas, offering grace to devotees who seek refuge with faith.
By declaring his residence at Prabhāsa tīrtha under a human-identifiable name, the verse emphasizes Saguna Shiva—Shiva who can be approached through sacred sites, forms, and acts of devotion, often centered on linga-worship and tīrtha pilgrimage.
Tīrtha-sevā (pilgrimage and reverent residence), linga-pūjā with Panchākṣara japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), and maintaining Shaiva disciplines such as bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as supports for steady devotion.