Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 28
कार्त्तिकेयान्वेषण-नन्दिसंवाद-वर्णनम्
Search for Kārttikeya and the Nandī Dialogue
चन्द्र उवाच रुदंतं बालकं प्राप्य गृहीत्वा कृत्तिकागणः । जगाम स्वालयं शंभो गच्छन्बदरिकाश्रमम्
candra uvāca rudaṃtaṃ bālakaṃ prāpya gṛhītvā kṛttikāgaṇaḥ | jagāma svālayaṃ śaṃbho gacchanbadarikāśramam
ചന്ദ്രൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ശംഭൂ! കരയുന്ന ബാലനെ കണ്ടെത്തി എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട്, കൃത്തികമാരുടെ സംഘം സ്വന്തം വാസസ്ഥാനത്തേക്ക് പോയി; ബദരികാശ്രമത്തിലേക്ക് നീങ്ങിക്കൊണ്ടു।
Candra (Moon-god)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha
Sthala Purana: The verse explicitly moves toward Badarikāśrama (Badrinātha region), a Himalayan sacred complex closely paired in pilgrimage imagination with Kedāra. While not a direct Jyotirliṅga origin, it situates the narrative in the Kedāra–Badarī sacred geography.
Significance: Badarī–Kedāra kṣetra is revered for tapas, purification, and Śiva–Nārāyaṇa sacred proximity; narrative association heightens the sanctity of the Himalayan tīrtha circuit.
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: Transfer of the divine child to Kṛttikās’ abode; lunar guardianship motif
FAQs
It highlights divine care operating through sacred beings: the Kṛttikās protect and carry the crying child, indicating that Śiva’s grace (anugraha) can manifest through compassionate guardianship and through movement toward holy spaces like Badarikāśrama.
By addressing Śiva as “Śambhu,” the narration keeps the event anchored in Saguna Śiva—the benevolent Lord whose presence sanctifies tīrthas and whose providence guides beings to dharmic refuge, a key devotional frame in Shiva Purana stories.
The verse suggests tīrtha-smaraṇa and śaraṇāgati: remembering holy āśramas and surrendering to Śiva’s protection; a practical takeaway is daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Śambhu as the compassionate guardian.