Shloka 15
Gautama–Ahalyā-Upākhyāna: Durbhikṣa, Tapas, and Varuṇa’s Boon (गौतमाहल्योपाख्यानम्)
सूत उवाच । इति संप्रार्थितस्तेन वरुणो गौतमेन वै । उवाच वचनं तस्मै गर्तश्च क्रियतां त्वया
sūta uvāca | iti saṃprārthitastena varuṇo gautamena vai | uvāca vacanaṃ tasmai gartaśca kriyatāṃ tvayā
スータは言った。かくしてゴータマに切に請われ、ヴァルナは彼に告げた。「ゆえに汝みずから穴（ガルタ）を掘り作れ。」
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Sthala Purana: Varuṇa’s instruction to dig a garta (pit) initiates the physical establishment of a sacred water-point—often the seed of a localized tīrtha narrative.
Significance: Shows dharma as enacted through concrete instruction: sacred geography arises from obedience to divine ordinance.
FAQs
It shows that even divine beings respond to sincere supplication grounded in dharma; the instruction to “make a pit” indicates that spiritual outcomes often unfold through a concrete, disciplined act performed with purity and obedience.
In Kotirudrasaṃhitā, practical instructions commonly serve as preparatory steps for sacred events connected to Jyotirliṅga traditions; such commanded actions become part of the devotee’s outer discipline that supports focused Saguna Shiva worship.
The verse implies a prescribed ritual action (kriyā)—preparing a designated sacred space; a Shaiva takeaway is to perform the act with śauca (purity) while maintaining Shiva-smaraṇa, such as mentally repeating the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”