Shloka 122
सृष्टा कोटीति रुद्राणामृषीणामग्रत: स्थिता । मया पूर्वतरं दृष्ट इति ते मेनिरे पृथक्,राजन! तब योगेश्वर भगवान् शिवने भी योगका आश्रय ले, उन शुद्धात्मा महर्षियोंके शोककी शान्तिके लिये करोड़ों शिवलिंगोंकी सृष्टि कर दी, जो उन सभी ऋषियोंके आगे उपस्थित थे; इससे उन सबने अलग-अलग भगवान्का दर्शन किया। राजन! उन शुद्धचेता मुनियोंकी उत्तम भक्तिसे संतुष्ट हो महादेवजीने उन्हें वर दिया
sṛṣṭā koṭīti rudrāṇām ṛṣīṇām agrataḥ sthitā | mayā pūrvataraṃ dṛṣṭa iti te menire pṛthak, rājan | tataḥ yogeśvaraḥ bhagavān śivaḥ api yogam āśritya teṣāṃ śuddhātmanāṃ maharṣīṇāṃ śokaśāntyai koṭiśaḥ śivaliṅgānāṃ sṛṣṭiṃ cakāra, ye sarveṣām ṛṣīṇām agre pratyakṣāḥ babhūvuḥ; tena te sarve pṛthak pṛthag bhagavaddarśanaṃ prāpuḥ | rājan, teṣāṃ śuddhacetasaḥ munīnām uttamabhaktyā tuṣṭaḥ mahādevaḥ tebhyo varaṃ dadau |
Ghūlastya said: “A crore of Rudra-forms were manifested, standing before the sages. Each of them thought, ‘I have seen Him first,’ and so, O king, they held their own separate conviction. Then the Lord Śiva, master of Yoga, resorting to yogic power, created countless Śiva-liṅgas to soothe the grief of those pure-souled great seers; these appeared before all the sages. Thus each of them obtained a distinct vision of the Lord. O king, pleased by the excellent devotion of those pure-minded ascetics, Mahādeva granted them a boon.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes divine compassion and inclusivity: through yogic power Śiva manifests in many forms so that each sincere sage receives a direct, personal vision, and devotion (bhakti) becomes the basis for grace (a boon) and the calming of grief.
A group of pure-minded sages, distressed, seek Śiva. Śiva manifests innumerable Rudra-forms and creates countless Śiva-liṅgas before them so that each sage feels he has seen the Lord distinctly. Pleased with their devotion, Śiva grants them a boon.