तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
ततः प्रादुर्बभूवाथ शंकरो भक्तवत्सलः । हरिणा प्रणतश्चासीत्संनुतो विनयेन सः
tataḥ prādurbabhūvātha śaṃkaro bhaktavatsalaḥ | hariṇā praṇataścāsītsaṃnuto vinayena saḥ
Kemudian Śaṅkara, yang sentiasa mengasihi para bhakta, menzahirkan diri. Hari (Viṣṇu) tunduk bersujud kepada-Nya dan dengan rendah hati mempersembahkan pujian yang penuh hormat.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
Offering: pushpa
It highlights Śiva as bhaktavatsala—He becomes manifest to protect and uplift devotees—teaching that sincere surrender and humility invite divine grace and remove bondage (pāśa) under the Lord’s lordship (Pati).
Śaṅkara’s ‘manifestation’ underscores Saguna Śiva—God approachable through form, praise, and devotion. In Śaiva practice this aligns with worship of the Śiva-liṅga, where the devotee offers namaskāra and stuti, experiencing the Lord’s presence through consecrated form.
The verse suggests vinaya-yukta namaskāra (humble prostration) and stuti (praise). Practically, one may do liṅga-pūjā with pañcākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and offer reverent salutations, cultivating humility as the inner discipline.