अवंतीस्थ-ब्राह्मणकथा तथा तृतीय-ज्योतिर्लिङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावना
Avanti Brahmin Narrative and Prelude to the Third Jyotirliṅga
दूषणेन वचः प्रोक्तं हन्यतां वध्यतामिति । तच्छ्रुतं तैस्तदा नैव दैत्यप्रोक्तं वचो द्विजैः । वेदप्रियसुतैश्शंभोर्ध्यानमार्गपरायणैः
dūṣaṇena vacaḥ proktaṃ hanyatāṃ vadhyatāmiti | tacchrutaṃ taistadā naiva daityaproktaṃ vaco dvijaiḥ | vedapriyasutaiśśaṃbhordhyānamārgaparāyaṇaiḥ
ด้วยเจตนาร้าย เขากล่าวว่า “จงตีเสีย จงฆ่าเสีย” แต่เมื่อได้ยินถ้อยคำนั้น บุตรผู้เป็นทวิชะแห่งเวทปรียะ—ผู้ภักดีต่อศัมภุและมั่นคงในมรรคแห่งสมาธิ—หาได้ยอมรับคำสั่งของอสูรนั้นไม่เลย।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: The episode anticipates Mahākāla’s protective epiphany: when a demon commands the killing of Śiva-devoted brāhmaṇas, the devotees refuse adharma; Śiva manifests to defend dharma and his bhaktas—an archetypal Mahākāla motif later localized at Ujjain.
Significance: Protection of devotees, removal of fear of death/time, and assurance that Śiva’s grace overrides demonic coercion; reinforces brāhmaṇa-saṃrakṣaṇa and bhakti as refuge.
Type: stotra
It shows that true devotees grounded in dhyāna and dharma do not follow adharma even under threat; allegiance is to Śiva (Pati) and right conduct, not to coercive power.
Calling Śiva as Śambhu highlights a personal, Saguna focus for devotion; those devoted to Him remain steady in contemplative worship rather than being swayed by hostile forces.
The verse emphasizes dhyāna-mārga—steady meditation on Śiva; practically, this aligns with daily Śiva-smaraṇa and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") as a stabilizing discipline.