Shloka 14
गौतमस्य शिवदर्शनं पापक्षयवचनं च | Gautama’s Vision of Śiva and the Teaching on Sin and Purification
सूत उवाच । इत्येवं तद्वचश्श्रुत्वा सुप्रसन्नो महेश्वरः । गौतमं प्रत्युवाचाशु कृपादृष्ट्या विलोक्य च
sūta uvāca | ityevaṃ tadvacaśśrutvā suprasanno maheśvaraḥ | gautamaṃ pratyuvācāśu kṛpādṛṣṭyā vilokya ca
Sūta said: Having thus heard those words, Mahādeva (Maheśvara), becoming exceedingly pleased, at once replied to Gautama—gazing upon him with a compassionate, grace-filled look.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Significance: Emphasizes kṛpā-dṛṣṭi (the Lord’s grace-glance) as the decisive factor for spiritual uplift; pilgrimage/darśana is fruitful when met by divine prasāda.
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse highlights Śiva as Pati (the Lord) whose grace (kṛpā-dṛṣṭi) responds to sincere speech and devotion; His pleasure is not merely emotional but the bestowal of auspiciousness that uplifts the bound soul (paśu) toward liberation.
Maheśvara’s compassionate glance and immediate reply portray Saguna Śiva—personally accessible to devotees. In Jyotirliṅga/Kotirudra contexts, the Liṅga is the worshipful form through which this same grace is encountered as presence, blessing, and guidance.
Cultivate bhakti with humility and truthful prayer, then meditate on Śiva’s kṛpā-dṛṣṭi while japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”); the inner takeaway is receptivity to grace rather than forceful striving.