Shloka 18
Viṣṇoḥ Sahasranāma-stotreṇa Śiva-prasādaḥ
Vishnu’s Thousand-Name Hymn and Shiva’s Grace
सूत उवाच । इति पृष्टस्तदा तेन सन्तुष्टस्तु शिवोऽब्रवीत् । प्रसन्नमानसो भूत्वा विष्णुं देवसहायकम्
sūta uvāca | iti pṛṣṭastadā tena santuṣṭastu śivo'bravīt | prasannamānaso bhūtvā viṣṇuṃ devasahāyakam
Sūta said: Thus questioned by him, Lord Śiva—well pleased—spoke. With a serene and gracious mind, He addressed Viṣṇu, the helper of the gods.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Highlights Śiva’s prasāda (gracious disposition) as the operative condition for anugraha; pilgrimage and vrata aim at such prasannatā.
FAQs
The verse highlights Śiva’s prasanna-manas—His gracious, tranquil disposition—showing that divine instruction arises when devotion and proper inquiry mature; it also affirms a dharmic harmony where Śiva guides and Viṣṇu supports the cosmic order.
By presenting Śiva as a speaking, responsive Lord who is pleased by sincere questioning, the text emphasizes Saguna worship—approaching Śiva as a compassionate, personal deity—an attitude central to Linga-bhakti in the Kotirudrasaṃhitā’s Jyotirliṅga context.
The practical takeaway is to cultivate prasanna-manas before worship—through japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), calm breath, and a devotional mindset—so that the seeker becomes fit for Śiva’s grace and instruction.