नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”
यदा स्पृष्टो मुनिस्तेन करेण त्रिपुरारिणा । तदैव मुनिशार्दूल उत्ससर्ज तपःक्रमम्
yadā spṛṣṭo munistena kareṇa tripurāriṇā | tadaiva muniśārdūla utsasarja tapaḥkramam
Apabila sang muni disentuh oleh tangan Tripurāri (Śiva, pemusnah Tripura), pada saat itu juga “harimau di antara para muni” meninggalkan perjalanan tapasnya.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga origin; depicts the decisive ‘touch of grace’—Śiva’s hand-contact that turns tapas into receptivity for boon and instruction.
Significance: Highlights sparśa-dīkṣā-like symbolism: the Lord’s contact ends self-driven striving and initiates grace-led fulfillment.
Role: liberating
It highlights Śiva’s anugraha (liberating grace): even intense tapas is ultimately fulfilled not by personal effort alone, but by the direct touch of Pati (the Lord) that can instantly transform the seeker’s inner state.
Tripurāri here is Saguna Śiva—personally accessible and compassionate. Just as the devotee approaches the Liṅga for darśana and blessing, the sage receives Śiva’s tangible intervention, showing that embodied worship can culminate in immediate spiritual change through grace.
The takeaway is to pair tapas with surrender and Śiva-bhakti—regular japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and worship with bhasma/Rudrākṣa as aids—remembering that realization ripens through Śiva’s grace rather than strain alone.