Shloka 4
Gaṅgā-Avataraṇa and the Naming of Gaṅgādvāra (गङ्गावतरणम्—गङ्गाद्वारप्रसिद्धिः)
औदुंबरस्य शाखायास्तत्प्रवाहो विनिस्सृतः । तत्र स्नानं मुदा चक्रे गौतमो विश्रुतो मुनिः
auduṃbarasya śākhāyāstatpravāho vinissṛtaḥ | tatra snānaṃ mudā cakre gautamo viśruto muniḥ
Dari sebatang dahan pokok udumbara, terpancarlah aliran suci. Di sana, resi Gautama yang masyhur melakukan mandi upacara dengan penuh sukacita.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: A sacred stream issues from an udumbara branch—an emblem of tīrtha-manifestation where nature becomes a conduit for grace; Gautama’s snāna establishes the place’s sanctity.
Significance: Models tīrtha-snāna as a means of śuddhi and pāpa-kṣaya; the udumbara-associated spring becomes a localized pilgrimage spot in the narrative world.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
The verse highlights tirtha-snana (sacred bathing) as an act of inner and outer purification that supports Shiva-bhakti; Gautama’s joyful ablution models the devotee’s reverent readiness for worship and grace.
In Kotirudra narratives, pilgrimage settings and purificatory acts like snana commonly precede approaching a Jyotirlinga; the bath symbolizes cleansing malas (impurities) so the devotee may worship Saguna Shiva (the Linga) with steadier mind and devotion.
Perform snana with sankalpa (spiritual intention), then proceed to Shiva-puja—optionally japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a disciplined sequence of purification followed by devotion.