Shloka 23
भैरवावतारलीलावर्णनम् (Bhairava-avatāra-līlā-varṇanam) — “Narration of the Divine Play of Bhairava’s Descent”
किमर्थं भगवञ्छम्भो भिक्षाञ्चरसि शक्तिप । संशयो मे जगन्नाथ एष त्रैलोक्यराज्यद
kimarthaṃ bhagavañchambho bhikṣāñcarasi śaktipa | saṃśayo me jagannātha eṣa trailokyarājyada
“Atas tujuan apakah, wahai Bhagavān Śambhu, wahai Tuhan Yang Berkuasa (Śakti-pati), Engkau mengembara meminta sedekah? Wahai Penguasa alam semesta, timbul keraguan dalam diriku—Engkaulah penganugerahan kedaulatan atas tiga dunia.”
Parvati
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Bhikṣāṭana
Sthala Purana: The verse anticipates the Bhikṣāṭana/Bhairava cycle: Śiva wanders as a mendicant to expiate Brahmahatyā and to teach detachment; some regional sthala traditions connect Bhikṣāṭana episodes to kṣetras like Kāśī, though not a fixed Jyotirliṅga claim here.
Significance: Contemplation of Śiva as the supreme giver who yet begs alms cultivates vairāgya and humility; pilgrims emulate bhikṣā and anna-dāna as complementary disciplines.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It highlights Shiva’s divine play of renunciation: though He is Pati (the Lord and giver of all powers), He demonstrates detachment and humility, teaching that true sovereignty is inner freedom rather than worldly possession.
As Saguna Shiva, Śambhu enacts accessible human-like conduct (seeking alms) to instruct devotees; Linga-worship similarly trains the mind to see the infinite Lord present even in simple, austere forms.
Practice bhakti with vairāgya: repeat the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while cultivating humility and non-attachment, offering simple alms/food in charity as an outward expression of Shiva’s teaching.