Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
मयस्य शिवस्तुतिः — Maya’s Hymn to Śiva
and Śiva’s Gracious Response
सनत्कुमार उवाच । एतस्मिन्नंतरे शंभुं प्रसन्नं वीक्ष्य दानवः । तत्राजगाम सुप्रीतो मयोऽदग्धः कृपाबलात्
sanatkumāra uvāca | etasminnaṃtare śaṃbhuṃ prasannaṃ vīkṣya dānavaḥ | tatrājagāma suprīto mayo'dagdhaḥ kṛpābalāt
Sanatkumāra sprach: Inzwischen, als der Dānava Māyā Śambhu (Herrn Śiva) gütig und gelassen sah—er war durch die Macht von Śivas Mitgefühl nicht verbrannt worden—kam er voller Freude dorthin.
Sanatkumara
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Highlights the doctrine that even a dānava can be preserved and transformed by Śiva’s kṛpā; reinforces universality of Śiva’s grace beyond sectarian or moral binaries.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It highlights Śiva as Śambhu—the auspicious Lord whose compassion (kṛpā) can override destruction, showing that divine grace is a decisive force in the soul’s destiny, not merely the outcome of conflict.
By portraying Śiva as visibly “prasanna” (gracious and approachable), the verse supports Saguna devotion—worshiping Śiva as a personal Lord who bestows prasāda; this same gracious presence is traditionally accessed through Linga worship.
The takeaway is to seek Śiva’s prasāda through steady bhakti—japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with a calm, surrendered mind—since grace, not force, is emphasized as transformative.