Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 26
घनागमवर्णनम् / Description of the Monsoon’s Onset
Satī’s Address to Śiva
सुमेरोर्वा गिरेरूर्द्ध्वं न गच्छंति बलाहकाः । जम्बूमूलं समासाद्य पुष्करावर्तकादयः
sumerorvā girerūrddhvaṃ na gacchaṃti balāhakāḥ | jambūmūlaṃ samāsādya puṣkarāvartakādayaḥ
Les nuages porteurs de pluie ne s’élèvent pas au-dessus du mont Sumeru. Parvenus à la région près de la racine de l’arbre Jambū, des nuages tels que Puṣkara et Āvartaka, et d’autres, s’y meuvent et y tourbillonnent.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Sthala Purana: Cosmographic description: clouds (balāhaka) circulate below Meru and around the Jambū-mūla region; serves as a narrative backdrop rather than a liṅga-sthala origin.
Significance: Indirect: evokes the ordered cosmos (niyati) under Īśvara’s governance, prompting contemplative reverence rather than prescribing a tīrtha-yātrā.
Cosmic Event: Purāṇic cosmography of Jambūdvīpa: Meru as axial mountain; balāhaka-clouds named (Puṣkara, Āvartaka) circulate at the Jambū-mūla level.
FAQs
It presents sacred cosmology as a dharmic order: even mighty clouds follow a higher law. In Shaiva understanding, such order reflects Pati (Śiva) as the supreme governor, while beings (paśu) move within the boundaries of His niyati (cosmic ordinance).
By showing that the universe operates through fixed principles, the verse supports the Purāṇic vision that Saguna Śiva (worshipped as the Liṅga) is the accessible Lord who upholds and regulates creation. Liṅga-worship aligns the devotee with that divine order and steadiness.
A practical takeaway is niyama and steadiness in japa: daily repetition of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with disciplined routine, like the clouds following their ordained path—supporting inner stability for bhakti and meditation.