Arjuna’s Mantra-Empowerment and the Pāṇḍavas’ Separation (Śiva-rūpa through Mantra)
मनसा हर्षसंयुक्तो जगामाचलमुत्तमम् । तत्र गत्वा च गंगायास्समीपं सुन्दरं स्थलम्
manasā harṣasaṃyukto jagāmācalamuttamam | tatra gatvā ca gaṃgāyāssamīpaṃ sundaraṃ sthalam
Dengan hati yang dipenuhi sukacita, ia pergi ke gunung yang mulia itu. Setibanya di sana, ia sampai pada tempat yang indah di dekat Sungai Gaṅgā.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha
Sthala Purana: Mountain-and-Gaṅgā proximity evokes the Himalayan Śiva-kṣetra imagination; Kedāra is paradigmatic of ‘acala’ Śiva-abode where austerity and grace converge (associative, not explicit).
Significance: Pilgrimage to Himalayan Śiva-sthalas is linked with purification and readiness for Śiva-anugraha through tapas and tīrtha-snāna.
Shakti Form: Gaurī
Role: liberating
It highlights that inner joy and devotion (bhāva) naturally lead a seeker toward sacred spaces—mountains and the Gaṅgā—where the mind becomes fit for Shiva-oriented worship and purification.
Approaching a tīrtha like the Gaṅgā is a classic preparatory step for Saguna Shiva worship—such as bathing, sanctifying the mind, and then performing pūjā or abhiṣeka to the Liṅga with purified intention.
A practical takeaway is tīrtha-snān (ritual bathing) near the Gaṅgā followed by japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating the same joyful, focused mind described in the verse.