Shloka 9
Nāgeśa-jyotirliṅga-prādurbhāvaḥ — The Manifestation of the Nāgeśa Jyotirliṅga
लोका ऊचुः । महर्षे शरणं देहि नो चेद्दुष्टैश्च मारिताः । सर्वं कर्तुं समर्थोसि तेजसा दीप्तिमानसि
lokā ūcuḥ | maharṣe śaraṇaṃ dehi no cedduṣṭaiśca māritāḥ | sarvaṃ kartuṃ samarthosi tejasā dīptimānasi
لوگ بولے—اے مہارشی! ہمیں پناہ دے دیجیے، ورنہ بدکار ہمیں قتل کر دیں گے۔ آپ روحانی تپش کے تیز سے درخشاں اور ہر کام پر قادر ہیں۔
The people (lokāḥ), addressing a great sage (maharṣi)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: The plea for refuge from ‘the wicked’ is a common Purāṇic trigger for Śiva’s protective descent or for sanctifying a place through a liṅga’s appearance; however, this verse remains at the petition stage without naming a site.
Significance: Cultivates śaraṇāgati and trust in dharmic power (tejas). Pilgrimage-ethos: approaching a sanctified person/place as a step toward divine protection.
FAQs
It highlights śaraṇāgati (taking refuge): when adharma threatens life and order, devotees and the afflicted seek protection through a realized sage whose tejas is aligned with Shiva’s sustaining grace.
The appeal for refuge mirrors Linga-worship’s core mood—approaching Saguna Shiva as the immediate protector and Lord of dharma—often mediated through sages who guide devotees to Shiva’s presence and remedies.
A practical takeaway is prayerful surrender with japa—especially the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—seeking protection, steadiness of mind, and dharmic resolve under the guidance of a guru or sage.