Bhaimaśaṅkara-māhātmya: Śiva’s Descent in Kāmarūpa and the Rise of Bhīma
सूत उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा प्रथमं भीमो जिग्ये देवान्सवासवान् । स्थानान्निस्सारयामास स्वात्स्वात्तान्भीमविक्रमः
sūta uvāca | ityuktvā prathamaṃ bhīmo jigye devānsavāsavān | sthānānnissārayāmāsa svātsvāttānbhīmavikramaḥ
Sūta berkata: Setelah berkata demikian, Bhīma mula-mula menewaskan para dewa bersama Indra; lalu dia yang berkeperkasaan menggerunkan itu menghalau mereka keluar dari kediaman masing-masing.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it narrates the displacement of devas from their sthānas, a classic purāṇic motif preceding divine intervention.
Significance: Contemplative takeaway: worldly ‘abodes’ (sthāna) are impermanent; refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Śiva is the stable recourse.
Cosmic Event: Political-cosmic inversion: devas expelled from their lokas (a dharmic order disturbance)
It shows how even celestial powers can be displaced when adharma rises; in Shaiva understanding, lasting order is upheld not by mere might but by alignment with Shiva (Pati), the supreme governor of the cosmos.
Such episodes typically set the stage for Shiva’s Saguna intervention—often through the manifestation of a Jyotirlinga—reminding devotees that Shiva becomes accessible in form to restore dharma and grant refuge.
Take refuge in Shiva through japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” coupled with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) remembrance, cultivating steadiness when confronted by overpowering forces.