अवंतीस्थ-ब्राह्मणकथा तथा तृतीय-ज्योतिर्लिङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावना
Avanti Brahmin Narrative and Prelude to the Third Jyotirliṅga
देवप्रियश्च तज्ज्येष्ठः प्रियमेधास्ततः परम् । तृतीयस्तु कृतो नाम धर्मवाही च सुव्रतः
devapriyaśca tajjyeṣṭhaḥ priyamedhāstataḥ param | tṛtīyastu kṛto nāma dharmavāhī ca suvrataḥ
ในหมู่พวกเขา ผู้พี่ใหญ่ชื่อเทวปรียะ ถัดมาคือปรียเมธา ส่วนคนที่สามชื่อกฤตะ—ประพฤติชอบในธรรม เป็นผู้ทรงไว้ซึ่งธรรม และมั่นคงในวัตรอันประเสริฐ।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Īśāna
It highlights the Shaiva ideal that noble birth is affirmed by noble conduct—upholding dharma and observing pure vows (suvrata), which mature the soul toward Shiva’s grace.
By praising dharma-bearing and disciplined vows, the verse points to the inner qualifications that make external worship—such as Linga-puja—fruitful and truly Shiva-centered.
It suggests vrata (disciplined observance) as a core practice—regular purity, restraint, and steady devotion, ideally supported by mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and consistent puja.