Shloka 33
Gautama–Ahalyā-Upākhyāna: Durbhikṣa, Tapas, and Varuṇa’s Boon (गौतमाहल्योपाख्यानम्)
धान्या नि वापयामासुः कालक्रमणहेतवे । आनंदस्तद्वने ह्यासीत्प्रभावाद्गौतमस्य च
dhānyā ni vāpayāmāsuḥ kālakramaṇahetave | ānaṃdastadvane hyāsītprabhāvādgautamasya ca
कालक्रमणहेतवे तत्र धान्यानि न्यवापयन्। तद्वने ह्यानन्दोऽभूत् गौतमस्य प्रभावतः॥
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: The forest’s ‘ānanda’ is attributed to Gautama’s prabhāva—tapas-śakti that sacralizes place (kṣetra) and foreshadows a later Śiva-centered tīrtha/liṅga episode arising from events around water and conduct.
Significance: Highlights tapas as a field-force: a purified kṣetra becomes conducive to sādhana, harmony, and eventual divine intervention.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It highlights dharma in daily life: even practical acts like sowing crops become sacred when done with right intention, discipline, and in the presence of a realized sage whose tapas generates auspiciousness (prabhāva).
Kotirudra narratives often frame sacred geography and disciplined living as supports for Saguna Shiva worship at tirthas; regulating time (kāla-krama) sustains regular pūjā, vrata, and pilgrimage connected to Jyotirlinga devotion.
A takeaway is niyama (regulated routine): keep fixed times for Shiva-pūjā, japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and vrata observances—using practical time-markers to maintain steadiness in sādhana.