Shloka 4
Umā-caritra-prārthanā: Ṛṣayaḥ Sūtaṃ Pṛcchanti
Request for the Account of Umā
सती हेमवती तस्या अवतारद्वयं श्रुतम् । अपरानवतारांस्त्वं ब्रूहि सूत् महामते
satī hemavatī tasyā avatāradvayaṃ śrutam | aparānavatārāṃstvaṃ brūhi sūt mahāmate
અમે તેના બે અવતાર—સતી અને હેમવતી—વિશે સાંભળ્યું છે. હે સૂત, હે મહામતિ, કૃપા કરીને તેના અન્ય અવતારો પણ કહો.
The sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (addressing Sūta Gosvāmin)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Mention of Satī implicitly recalls the Satī-deha-pāta tradition that later informs Śākta pīṭhas; however this verse itself is a request for further avatāras and does not localize a jyotirliṅga.
Significance: Encourages śravaṇa of Devī’s multiple manifestations as a means of devotion and understanding her salvific roles across yugas.
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse shows the devotees’ earnest inquiry into Śakti’s manifestations—recognizing that the Divine Mother appears in multiple forms to support dharma and to reveal Shiva-tattva through lived, devotional narratives.
By asking about Devī’s incarnations, the sages seek the sacred history that culminates in devotion to Saguna Shiva—where Śakti’s forms guide beings toward Shiva-bhakti, often expressed through Linga worship and related observances.
The practical takeaway is śravaṇa (devotional listening) and kīrtana (recounting) of Shiva–Śakti līlās; such attentive hearing is traditionally paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") for inner purification.