Shloka 56
Bhaimaśaṅkara-māhātmya: Śiva’s Descent in Kāmarūpa and the Rise of Bhīma
शिव उवाच । हे हरे हे विधे देवा ऋषयश्चाखिला अहम् । प्रसन्नोस्मि वरं ब्रूत किं कार्यं करवाणि वः
śiva uvāca | he hare he vidhe devā ṛṣayaścākhilā aham | prasannosmi varaṃ brūta kiṃ kāryaṃ karavāṇi vaḥ
Śiva said: “O Hari (Viṣṇu), O Vidhi (Brahmā), O gods and all the sages—I am pleased. Speak the boon you desire. What service shall I accomplish for you?”
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Ishana
Sthala Purana: The boon-offering speech (‘varaṃ brūta’) is a classic Purāṇic anugraha moment: the Lord, pleased by worship, invites the petition—mirroring how tīrtha and liṅga worship culminate in divine assurance.
Significance: Models the devotee’s confidence: sincere worship leads to īśvara-sākṣātkāra-like responsiveness; also frames Śiva as accessible ‘āśutoṣa’ who grants boons for loka-kalyāṇa.
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights Śiva’s prasāda (grace): when beings approach with reverence, the Pati (Lord) becomes pleased and willingly offers a boon, showing divine compassion and accessibility in the Saguna form.
It reflects Saguna Śiva’s responsive presence—like the Jyotirliṅga tradition in the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā—where the Lord manifests and acts for the welfare of devotees and the cosmic order when properly invoked.
A key takeaway is to seek Śiva’s grace through bhakti—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and sincere prayer—approaching the Lord with humility before asking for any boon.