Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 27
गिरिजातपः-परीक्षा तथा सप्तर्षि-आह्वानम्
Girijā’s Austerity-Test and the Summoning of the Seven Sages
अपक्षो मन्मनः पक्षी व्योम्नि उड्डीयते हठात् । तदाशां शंकरस्वामी पिपर्त्तु करुणानिधिः
apakṣo manmanaḥ pakṣī vyomni uḍḍīyate haṭhāt | tadāśāṃ śaṃkarasvāmī piparttu karuṇānidhiḥ
وإن كان بلا جناحين، فإن طائرَ الذهنِ المبهوت يحاول فجأةً أن يطير في السماء قسرًا؛ فليُتمِّم الربُّ شانكرا—السيدُ الرحيم، بحرُ النعمة—تلك الأمنية بعينها.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Significance: Highlights Śaṅkara as karuṇānidhi (storehouse of grace), aligning with pilgrimage ethos: the Lord completes what the limited self cannot.
Mantra: śaṃkarasvāmī ... karuṇānidhiḥ
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It portrays the soul’s seemingly impossible aspiration—like a wingless bird trying to fly—and teaches that Śiva’s karuṇā (grace) can accomplish what personal effort alone cannot, when one turns to Him with sincere longing.
By calling Śiva “Śaṅkara-svāmī” and “karuṇānidhi,” the verse emphasizes approachable Saguna Śiva—worshipped as the Liṅga—who responds compassionately to devotion and fulfils the devotee’s inner aim of purification and liberation.
A practical takeaway is bhakti-filled japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with surrender, praying for Śiva’s grace to steady the mind and raise it toward liberation.