Dāruvana-parīkṣā: Śaṅkara’s Test and the Linga’s Ritual-Theological Grounding
मंत्रोक्तेन विधानेन देवाश्च ऋषयस्तथा । चक्रुः प्रसन्नां गिरिजां शिवं च धर्महेतवे
maṃtroktena vidhānena devāśca ṛṣayastathā | cakruḥ prasannāṃ girijāṃ śivaṃ ca dharmahetave
മന്ത്രങ്ങളിൽ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന വിധിപ്രകാരം ദേവന്മാരും ഋഷിമാരും വിധിവത്ായി പൂജ ചെയ്തു; അതിനാൽ ഗിരിജയും ശിവനും പ്രസന്നരായി—ധർമ്മസ്ഥാപനാർത്ഥം।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Sthala Purana: Devas and ṛṣis perform mantra-governed worship to please Śiva and Girijā so that dharma may be re-established; the narrative frames ritual as a means for cosmic re-ordering through Śiva’s grace.
Significance: Models the Siddhānta principle that right ritual (kriyā) and right mantra (mantra) dispose the soul toward Śiva’s anugraha, which alone stabilizes dharma.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
It teaches that dharma is strengthened when worship is done with mantra, right method (vidhi), and sincere devotion—invoking Śiva and Girijā’s grace, which sustains cosmic order and supports liberation-oriented living in a Śaiva frame.
By emphasizing mantra-prescribed worship, it points to Saguna upāsanā—approaching Śiva through form and ritual (often centered on the Liṅga) so the Lord becomes ‘prasanna’ (gracious), granting dharmic stability and spiritual progress.
Mantra-vidhi worship: recitation of Śiva-mantras (commonly the Pañcākṣarī), paired with proper pūjā procedure and a dharma-intent—offering water, bilva leaves, and meditative remembrance to please Śiva and Pārvatī.