Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 7
गणेशोत्पत्ति-प्रसङ्गः / Episode on the Origin of Gaṇeśa (Śvetakalpa Account)
संदेहो नात्र कर्तव्यः शंकरस्सूतिकृन्मुने । स हि सर्वाधिपः शंभुर्निर्गुणस्सगुणो ऽपि हि
saṃdeho nātra kartavyaḥ śaṃkarassūtikṛnmune | sa hi sarvādhipaḥ śaṃbhurnirguṇassaguṇo 'pi hi
O Weiser, hier soll kein Zweifel gehegt werden: Śaṅkara selbst wurde zur Ursache der Geburt. Denn Śambhu ist der Herr über alles—als Nirguṇa jenseits aller Eigenschaften, und doch aus Gnade auch als Saguṇa offenbar.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It affirms Shiva’s supreme lordship as both transcendent (Nirguṇa) and accessible through manifestation (Saguṇa), removing doubt about how the Absolute can also act within creation for the devotee’s liberation.
By declaring Shiva as both Nirguṇa and Saguṇa, the verse supports Linga-worship as a merciful, graspable form through which devotees approach the same attributeless Supreme.
A practical takeaway is to worship Shiva in Saguṇa form (Linga-pūjā with mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), while meditating on His Nirguṇa nature as the supreme, quality-transcending Pati.