Shloka 13
Jaṭilāvatāra-Parīkṣā: Pārvatyāḥ Tapasāṃ Parīkṣaṇam
The Jaṭilā Episode and the Testing of Pārvatī’s Austerity
आगतं सा तदा दृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मणं तेजसाद्भुतम् । अंगेषु लोमशं शान्तं दण्डचर्मसमन्वितम्
āgataṃ sā tadā dṛṣṭvā brāhmaṇaṃ tejasādbhutam | aṃgeṣu lomaśaṃ śāntaṃ daṇḍacarmasamanvitam
तेव्हा तिने एक ब्राह्मण येताना पाहिला—अद्भुत तेजाने उजळलेला। त्याचे अंग लोमश, स्वभाव शांत, आणि दंड व मृगचर्म धारण केलेले होते।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Bhikṣāṭana
Sthala Purana: No Jyotirliṅga linkage; the verse is a ‘recognition-withheld’ moment where the Lord appears as a brāhmaṇa-ascetic of extraordinary tejas.
Significance: Models the bhakta’s discernment: the divine may arrive in humble guise; reverence to the radiant ascetic becomes reverence to Śiva himself.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Tejas as a marker of divinity: the Lord’s concealed presence is signaled through extraordinary radiance even when identity is masked.
FAQs
The verse highlights the Shaiva ideal of inner peace (śānti) and tapas: the ascetic appearance signifies mastery over the senses and a life oriented toward Shiva, the supreme Pati, rather than worldly identity.
The calm, radiant brāhmaṇa-ascetic functions as a narrative sign of Saguna Shiva’s grace working through embodied forms; such figures typically guide devotees toward Linga-worship marked by purity, restraint, and focused devotion.
It suggests a meditative disposition—śānta-bhāva—supported by ascetic disciplines; as a Shaiva takeaway, one may practice japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with steadiness and simplicity, mirroring the composed ascetic ideal.