Shloka 18
अत्रेर्भार्य्या चानसूया त्रीणि वर्षशतानि च । मुशलेषु निराहारा सुप्त्वा शर्वात्ततस्सुतान्
atrerbhāryyā cānasūyā trīṇi varṣaśatāni ca | muśaleṣu nirāhārā suptvā śarvāttatassutān
ಅತ್ರಿಯ ಪತ್ನಿ ಪತಿವ್ರತೆ ಅನಸೂಯಾ ಮೂರು ನೂರು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಕಾಲ ಮುಸಳೆಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಮಲಗಿ ಆಹಾರವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಇದ್ದಳು; ನಂತರ ಶರ್ವ (ಶಿವ)ನ ಕೃಪೆಯಿಂದ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಪುತ್ರರು ಲಭಿಸಿದರು.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; an exemplum of tapas and Śiva’s grace granting progeny (putra-prāpti) after extreme austerity.
Significance: Used as a paradigmatic narrative for devotees seeking siddhi through tapas under Śiva’s lordship—emphasizing that fruition ultimately depends on Śiva’s anugraha.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
The verse highlights tapas (austerity) and steadfast purity as a means of drawing Śiva’s anugraha (grace). In Shaiva Siddhanta, liberation and blessings arise when the bound soul (paśu) turns from worldly dependence toward disciplined devotion, making the heart fit for Pati (Śiva).
Śarva is a Saguna name of Śiva—Śiva approached through attributes and compassionate agency. The narrative supports the Purāṇic principle that worship and vrata offered to Śiva (often centered on the Liṅga) mature into tangible fruits, ultimately pointing the devotee toward Śiva’s higher grace beyond mere boons.
The implied practice is vrata with fasting (upavāsa) and sustained tapas. A Shaiva takeaway is to combine disciplined fasting—especially on Śiva days—with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and inward remembrance of Śiva as the giver of grace.