Shloka 23
नन्दिकेश्वरशिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्
The Māhātmya of the Nandikeśvara Śiva-liṅga
अन्यदाकर्णय विभो प्रार्थनां मे महेश्वर । लोकानामुपकारार्थमिह त्वं संस्थितो भव
anyadākarṇaya vibho prārthanāṃ me maheśvara | lokānāmupakārārthamiha tvaṃ saṃsthito bhava
O all-pervading Lord, Maheshvara, please hear yet another prayer of mine: for the welfare of the worlds, remain established here, as a gracious and manifest presence.
Brahma (petitioning Lord Shiva in the Jyotirlinga context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: A creator-deity petitions Śiva to remain ‘here’ as a stable, beneficent presence for loka-upakāra—typical of liṅga-pratiṣṭhā/āvirbhāva narratives where Śiva consents to abide in a fixed emblematic form for devotees.
Significance: Śiva’s ‘saṃsthiti’ in a place makes it a kṣetra where darśana, pūjā, and smaraṇa yield worldly welfare and spiritual uplift.
Mantra: अन्यदाकर्णय विभो प्रार्थनां मे महेश्वर । लोकानामुपकारार्थमिह त्वं संस्थितो भव
Type: stotra
FAQs
The verse frames Śiva’s manifest abiding (saṃsthiti) as an act of compassion for loka-kalyāṇa—so beings bound by pāśa can approach the Pati (Lord) through devotion, pilgrimage, and worship, receiving grace that supports liberation.
It explicitly asks Maheshvara to remain “here,” reflecting the Shaiva Purana theme that the Nirguṇa Lord, out of mercy, becomes accessible as Saguṇa—especially as the Liṅga/Jyotirlinga—so devotees can worship a stable, sanctified presence.
A direct takeaway is steady place-based Liṅga worship (darśana, abhiṣeka, and prayer). In practice this pairs well with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and offering of bhasma and bilva leaves with the intent of benefiting all beings.