Shloka 20
Pitṛbhakti and Śrāddha: The Classification of Pitṛs and the Superiority of Pitṛ-kārya
उपयुज्य च गां सर्वे गुरोस्तस्य न्यवेदयन् । शार्दूलेन हता धेनुर्वत्सा वै गृह्यतामिति
upayujya ca gāṃ sarve gurostasya nyavedayan | śārdūlena hatā dhenurvatsā vai gṛhyatāmiti
गायीचा उपयोग करून झाल्यावर ते सर्व गुरुजवळ जाऊन म्हणाले—“वाघाने धेनू मारली आहे; म्हणून वासरू घरात घेऊन सांभाळावे.”
Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma-saṃhitā account to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahākāla
Sthala Purana: No Jyotirliṅga; the narrative introduces sudden death (cow killed by tiger), a saṃhāra motif that foregrounds impermanence and karmic consequence.
Significance: Reminds pilgrims/householders that dharma must be transparent; calamity and death test integrity. In Siddhānta, saṃhāra is Śiva’s function that exposes attachment and precipitates ethical reckoning.
FAQs
It highlights dharma expressed as responsibility and compassion: when support is lost (the cow), one must still protect what remains (the calf), reflecting Shaiva ethics of right conduct that purifies the pashu (bound soul) and prepares it for Shiva’s grace.
While not naming the Liṅga directly, the verse supports Saguna Shiva devotion by emphasizing dharmic living—care, truthfulness, and accountability to the guru—which the Purana treats as the practical foundation that makes ritual worship fruitful and grace-bearing.
The implied practice is dharma-sādhana: truthful reporting, service to the guru, and compassionate protection of dependents; this can be paired with simple Shaiva daily observances like japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) while cultivating non-harm and responsibility.