Shloka 21
Dāruvana-parīkṣā: Śaṅkara’s Test and the Linga’s Ritual-Theological Grounding
लोकाश्च व्याकुला जाता ऋषयस्तेतिदुःखिताः । न शर्म लेभिरे केचिद्देवाश्च ऋषयस्तथा
lokāśca vyākulā jātā ṛṣayastetiduḥkhitāḥ | na śarma lebhire keciddevāśca ṛṣayastathā
โลกทั้งหลายปั่นป่วนวุ่นวาย เหล่าฤๅษีเศร้าโศกยิ่งนัก ไม่มีผู้ใดได้ความสงบ—ทั้งเหล่าเทวะและเหล่าฤๅษีก็เช่นเดียวกัน
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific jyotirliṅga passage; it depicts the existential agitation of beings when Pati is unrecognized and His manifestation is misconstrued as mere calamity rather than revelation.
Significance: Highlights the Siddhānta diagnosis: without knowledge of Pati, paśu experiences vyākulatā (agitation) under pāśa; peace (śarma) arises only when the Lord is rightly known and approached.
Cosmic Event: Three-world agitation (loka-vyākulatā) as a symptom of divine theophany misapprehended; a crisis preceding the turn toward refuge and grace.
FAQs
It portrays a state where even devas and rishis lose peace, implying that worldly supports fail and true śarma (inner refuge) ultimately arises through Shiva—the Pati—who alone can dissolve sorrow and bondage.
In Kotirudrasaṃhitā the narrative momentum typically turns toward Shiva’s manifest grace—often through Jyotirlinga/Linga worship—showing that when the cosmos is disturbed, devotion to Saguna Shiva becomes the concrete means to restore dharma and tranquility.
A practical takeaway is to seek śarma through Shiva-upāsanā: japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and Linga worship; on observance days like Mahāśivarātri, supporting practices such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa are traditionally recommended.