गता गणाश्च सर्वत्र भूतप्रेता दिशो दश । विसंज्ञं च स्वमात्मानं ज्ञात्वा देवो महेश्वरः
gatā gaṇāśca sarvatra bhūtapretā diśo daśa | visaṃjñaṃ ca svamātmānaṃ jñātvā devo maheśvaraḥ
កាលណាពួកគណៈបានបែកខ្ចាត់ខ្ចាយទៅគ្រប់ទីកន្លែង ហើយហ្វូងភូត និងព្រេតព្រមទាំងវិញ្ញាណអ្នកលាចាក បានរាលដាលទៅទិសទាំងដប់ នោះព្រះមហេស្វរៈ (មហាទេវ) ទ្រង់ដឹងថា អាត្មានៃព្រះអង្គឯងបានធ្លាក់សន្លប់។
Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king (implied by subsequent 'rājan/nṛpa/mahārāja')
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (implied)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A vast forest-kṣetra under a darkened sky; gaṇas dispersing in all directions while bhūtas and pretas stream through the ten quarters; Mahādeva stands momentarily still, sensing his own lapse into unconsciousness—an awe-filled pause before action.
Even divine narratives depict crisis and recovery, pointing to Śiva’s lordship over beings of all realms and the unfolding of sacred purpose in a tīrtha’s story.
The broader context is Dharmāraṇya (the sacred forest) whose māhātmya is being narrated in this chapter.
No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the narrative scene for later tīrtha-phalā (merit descriptions).