श्रीवत्सलः शिवारंभः शांतभद्रः समो यशः । भूयशो भूषणो भूतिर्भूतिकृद्भूतभावनः
śrīvatsalaḥ śivāraṃbhaḥ śāṃtabhadraḥ samo yaśaḥ | bhūyaśo bhūṣaṇo bhūtirbhūtikṛdbhūtabhāvanaḥ
He is beloved of Śrī, the very source from which auspiciousness begins; gentle and supremely auspicious, even-minded, and the embodiment of sacred renown. Ever more glorious, the true ornament of all—prosperity itself—He bestows wellbeing and nurtures all beings to their destined fulfillment.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, within the Kotirudrasaṃhitā hymn-context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; the emphasis is on Śiva as the fountainhead of auspiciousness (śivārambha) and bhūti (prosperity/sacred power), a universal māhātmya applicable to any Śiva-kṣetra.
Significance: Promises auspicious welfare (bhūti) and the nurturing of beings (bhūtabhāvana) through devotion—framing pilgrimage as entering Śiva’s field of auspicious beginnings and sustained flourishing.
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Umā
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
This verse presents Shiva as the very fountainhead of auspiciousness, peace, and impartial grace—teaching that remembrance of His names aligns the devotee with śānti (inner stillness), bhadra (welfare), and bhūti (spiritual-ethical prosperity), leading toward liberation in a Shaiva Siddhanta sense under the Lord’s compassionate governance.
These epithets are Saguna contemplations—qualities by which the devotee approaches the Linga as the living presence of Shiva: the impartial Lord who blesses, sustains, and uplifts beings. In Linga worship, such names are recited as nāma-japa/archana, making devotion steady and focused.
Practice nāma-smaraṇa (recollection) or archana by chanting these names of Shiva alongside the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” ideally with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudraksha as aids to steadiness, cultivating sama-bhāva (equanimity) and śānti (peace).