Shloka 56
Matsya Purana — Lineage of the Pitṛs
स भित्त्वा ब्रह्मसदनं पदमभ्येति शांकरम् नाम्नामष्टशतं यस्तु श्रावयेच्छिवसंनिधौ //
sa bhittvā brahmasadanaṃ padamabhyeti śāṃkaram nāmnāmaṣṭaśataṃ yastu śrāvayecchivasaṃnidhau //
He, breaking through even Brahmā’s celestial abode, attains the supreme state of Śaṅkara—whoever causes the recital of the eight-and-a-hundred names (of Śiva) to be heard in Śiva’s very presence.
FAQs
It does not describe pralaya directly; instead, it uses a cosmological hierarchy (even beyond Brahmā’s abode) to emphasize that Śiva-name recitation grants transcendence beyond the created worlds.
It frames a practical dharma for householders and rulers: sponsoring or arranging sacred recitation (śrāvaṇa/śrāvaṇā) in a Śiva shrine is a meritorious act that supports communal worship and personal spiritual uplift.
The key ritual marker is śiva-saṃnidhi—performing the recitation in the immediate presence of Śiva, typically understood as before a Śiva-liṅga in a temple or sanctified worship space, highlighting the importance of proper shrine setting for rites.