Shloka 25
युद्धप्रस्थान-वर्णनम्
Departure to the Battlefield and the Śaiva Overlordship over the Devas
स्तंभांतो वीक्षितो धात्रा तत्र साक्ष्यहमच्युत । इत्युक्त्वा केतकं तत्र प्रणनाम पुनः नः । असत्यमपि शस्तं स्यादापदीत्यनुशासनम्
staṃbhāṃto vīkṣito dhātrā tatra sākṣyahamacyuta | ityuktvā ketakaṃ tatra praṇanāma punaḥ naḥ | asatyamapi śastaṃ syādāpadītyanuśāsanam
Setelah melihat hujung tiang itu, Sang Pencipta Brahmā berkata di sana, “Wahai Acyuta (Viṣṇu), akulah saksi.” Setelah berkata demikian, baginda sekali lagi menunduk sujud di situ kepada bunga Ketakī. Maka lahirlah nasihat: “Bahkan yang tidak benar pun boleh tampak wajar pada saat bencana.”
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava
Sthala Purana: Brahmā falsely claims to have seen the end of the pillar and presents Ketakī as supporting witness before Viṣṇu; this becomes the basis for Ketakī’s later disqualification in liṅga-pūjā in many retellings.
Significance: Functions as a moral-ritual charter: worship must be grounded in satya; deceit obstructs anugraha and leads to ritual exclusion motifs (Ketakī taboo).
Cosmic Event: Crisis of truth in the Liṅgodbhava contest; dharma distorted under ‘āpadi’ rationalization
FAQs
It highlights how ego can distort dharma: even exalted beings may justify wrongdoing, but in Shaiva understanding the Linga (Shiva as Pati) stands beyond such claims, revealing that liberation comes through humility and truth-oriented devotion.
The pillar episode centers on the Linga as Shiva’s manifest sign (saguṇa upāsanā leading to nirguṇa insight). The attempt to establish “witness” through Ketakī underscores that Linga-worship demands inner integrity, not merely outward assertion or status.
Practice satya (truthfulness) alongside Linga-pūjā: recite the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with a vow of honesty, and offer worship with pure intention (śuddha-bhāva), avoiding offerings or speech rooted in deceit.