Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1
श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः
The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva
कृष्ण उवाच । भगवन्सर्वयोगींद्र गणेश्वर मुनीश्वर । षडाननसमप्रख्य सर्वज्ञाननिधे गुरो । प्रायस्त्वमवतीर्योर्व्यां पाशविच्छित्तये नृणाम् । महर्षिवपुरास्थाय स्थितो ऽसि परमेश्वर
kṛṣṇa uvāca | bhagavansarvayogīṃdra gaṇeśvara munīśvara | ṣaḍānanasamaprakhya sarvajñānanidhe guro | prāyastvamavatīryorvyāṃ pāśavicchittaye nṛṇām | maharṣivapurāsthāya sthito 'si parameśvara
Kṛṣṇa sprach: „O Erhabener — Herr aller Yogins, Gebieter der Gaṇas, höchster Weiser! O Guru, Schatzhaus allen Wissens, strahlend wie der Sechsgesichtige (Ṣaḍānana). Zumeist bist du auf die Erde herabgestiegen, um die Fesseln (pāśa) der Menschen zu zerschneiden; in der Gestalt eines großen ṛṣi verweilst du hier als Parameśvara, der höchste Herr.“
Krishna
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Highlights the salvific descent of the Lord/ācārya for pāśa-viccheda; reinforces the Siddhānta emphasis that bondage is cut by divine initiative mediated through a guru-form.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It frames Śiva as Parameśvara who compassionately descends to remove pāśa—bondage created by ignorance and karma—so the paśu (individual soul) may turn toward liberation, a key Shaiva Siddhanta theme (Pati freeing the paśu from pāśa).
By praising the Lord’s deliberate ‘descent’ and accessible presence, the verse supports Saguna worship—approaching Śiva through manifest forms (including the Liṅga) as a practical means for devotees to receive grace that loosens bondage.
The takeaway is to pursue yoga and devotion under a true guru’s guidance—regular japa of Śiva-mantra (especially pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as supportive aids to inner detachment from pāśa.