Shloka 5
द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गावतारकथनम्
Account of the Twelve Jyotirliṅga Manifestations
अवतारद्वादशकमेतच्छम्भोः परात्मनः । सर्वानन्दकरं पुंसान्दर्शनात्स्पर्शनान्मुने
avatāradvādaśakametacchambhoḥ parātmanaḥ | sarvānandakaraṃ puṃsāndarśanātsparśanānmune
Wahai resi, inilah rangkaian dua belas avatāra Śambhu, Sang Diri Tertinggi. Bagi insan yang berjasad, ia menganugerahkan kebahagiaan sempurna—hanya dengan memandangnya, bahkan dengan menyentuhnya.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: The verse doctrinally frames the twelve Jyotirliṅgas as ‘avatāra-dvādaśaka’—manifest descents of Śambhu for the world’s welfare, emphasizing salvific efficacy through darśana and sparśa.
Significance: Establishes the theology of tīrtha: contact (sparśa) and sacred sight (darśana) function as channels of Śiva’s anugraha, easing pāśa (bondage) and giving ānanda to embodied paśus.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It declares that Śiva’s twelve manifestations are not merely stories but grace-bearing forms of the Supreme Self; even simple devotional contact—seeing or touching—can awaken profound bliss and move the soul toward liberation.
It supports Saguna worship: the Supreme (Parātmā) becomes approachable through embodied forms. In practice this aligns with Liṅga-upāsanā, where darśana (beholding) and sparśa (reverent contact during pūjā) are treated as channels of Śiva’s anugraha (grace).
Prioritize darśana and reverent sparśa in Śiva-pūjā—such as viewing the Liṅga with devotion, performing abhiṣeka, and mentally contemplating Śambhu as Parātmā—supported by mantra-japa (e.g., the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) where appropriate.