Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 50
अनुग्रह-स्वातन्त्र्य-प्रमाणविचारः | Inquiry into Pramāṇa, Divine Autonomy, and Grace
यत्तु गौणमगौणं च तत्सर्वमनुगृह्णतः । न गुणाय न दोषाय शिवस्य गुणवृत्तयः
yattu gauṇamagauṇaṃ ca tatsarvamanugṛhṇataḥ | na guṇāya na doṣāya śivasya guṇavṛttayaḥ
Was immer als sekundär (gauṇa) oder als wesentlich (agauṇa) bezeichnet wird—Śiva nimmt alles gnädig an. Doch die Weisen, in denen Śiva durch die guṇa hervortritt, sind für Ihn weder Verdienst noch Makel, denn Er bleibt ewig unberührt.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse teaches that Shiva, the Pati (Lord), compassionately accepts diverse ways devotees describe and approach Him, while remaining intrinsically beyond the guṇas—so liberation depends on His grace, not on attributing merit or defect to Him.
Linga and other saguna forms are gracious supports for devotion; Shiva accepts such worship, yet the verse clarifies that these quality-based manifestations do not limit His true nature, which transcends virtue/defect and all guṇa-conditioning.
Practice steady bhakti with japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") while contemplating that the form worshipped is a compassionate means, and Shiva’s reality is untouched by guṇas—supporting inward detachment and meditation.