Shloka 16
Arjuna’s Mantra-Empowerment and the Pāṇḍavas’ Separation (Śiva-rūpa through Mantra)
धर्मराज उवाच । शृणु त्वं हि ऋषिश्रेष्ठ दुःखशान्तिर्मता मम । पृच्छामि त्वां महाप्राज्ञ कथनीयन्त्वया प्रभो
dharmarāja uvāca | śṛṇu tvaṃ hi ṛṣiśreṣṭha duḥkhaśāntirmatā mama | pṛcchāmi tvāṃ mahāprājña kathanīyantvayā prabho
Dharmarāja bersabda: “Dengarlah, wahai resi yang paling utama. Pada hematku, pendamaian duka yang sejati terletak di sini. Aku bertanya kepadamu, wahai yang maha bijaksana—wahai Tuhan—nyatakanlah apa yang patut diucapkan.”
Dharmarāja (Yama)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Significance: Frames the central soteriological question: ‘What teaching truly pacifies sorrow?’—a classic Śaiva Siddhānta move from duḥkha (bondage) toward śiva-anugraha mediated by right instruction.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It frames the core Shaiva pursuit—duḥkha-śānti (the settling of suffering)—as something to be learned from realized wisdom, preparing the listener for teachings where grace, devotion, and right understanding lead the soul toward liberation.
By seeking the means to end sorrow, the dialogue points toward practical Shaiva upāyas (means), commonly taught in the Purana as Saguna Shiva worship—such as reverence to the Linga, mantra, and disciplined devotion—which steadies the mind and opens it to Shiva’s grace.
The verse itself is an invitation to śravaṇa (listening) and inquiry; in Shaiva practice this naturally culminates in mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara), along with supportive observances like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and Rudrāksha as taught in related Shiva Purana contexts.