Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1
गौरीप्रवेशः—शिवसाक्षात्कारः
Gaurī’s Entry and the Vision of Śiva
ऋषय ऊचुः । कृत्वा गौरं वपुर्दिव्यं देवी गिरिवरात्मजा । कथं ददर्श भर्तारं प्रविष्टा मन्दितं सती
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kṛtvā gauraṃ vapurdivyaṃ devī girivarātmajā | kathaṃ dadarśa bhartāraṃ praviṣṭā manditaṃ satī
Die Weisen sprachen: „Nachdem die Göttin, Tochter des erhabenen Berges, eine strahlende, göttliche, hellfarbene Gestalt angenommen hatte—wie trat Sati in jenen geschmückten Ort ein und wie erblickte sie ihren Herrn, ihren Gemahl Śiva?“
The sages (ṛṣis) at Naimiṣāraṇya
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: A query-frame verse: the ṛṣis ask about Devī’s radiant transformation and her darśana of Śiva; no Jyotirliṅga locale is specified.
Significance: Models śravaṇa (listening) and jijñāsā (theological inquiry) as preparatory disciplines for bhakti and right understanding of Pati.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
FAQs
The verse highlights “darśana” (beholding the Lord) as a fruit of inner refinement—Satī assumes a luminous, purified form, symbolizing the soul’s readiness to perceive Pati (Śiva), the supreme Lord, through devotion and grace.
Although the verse narrates a personal encounter, it reflects the Shaiva principle that Saguna Śiva becomes accessible to the devotee through reverence and purity; similarly, in Liṅga-worship the Lord is approached in a concrete, worship-worthy form that grants darśana and blessing.
The implied practice is purification and adornment of body and mind before worship—bhasma (tripuṇḍra), mantra-japa (especially “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and disciplined conduct—so the devotee becomes fit for Śiva-darśana.