Shloka 3
नन्दिकेश्वरशिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्
The Māhātmya of the Nandikeśvara Śiva-liṅga
सूत उवाच । साधु पृष्टमृषिश्रेष्ठा नन्दिकेशाश्रितं वचः । तदहं कथयाम्यद्य श्रवणात्पुण्यवर्द्धनम्
sūta uvāca | sādhu pṛṣṭamṛṣiśreṣṭhā nandikeśāśritaṃ vacaḥ | tadahaṃ kathayāmyadya śravaṇātpuṇyavarddhanam
Sūta said: “O best of sages, you have asked well—words grounded in Nandikeśa. Therefore today I shall recount it; by merely hearing it, one’s merit (puṇya) is increased.”
Suta Goswami
Sthala Purana: Programmatic narration marker: Sūta affirms the question and promises a puṇya-increasing account ‘grounded in Nandikeśa’. This is a standard Purāṇic framing for a forthcoming māhātmya/itihāsa.
Significance: Establishes śravaṇa (hearing) itself as a sādhana that increases puṇya—preparatory to grace—mirroring Purāṇic pedagogy where kathā-śravaṇa is a devotional act.
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights śravaṇa (devout listening) as a primary Shaiva practice: hearing authentic teachings connected to Shiva’s attendants like Nandikeśa purifies the mind and increases puṇya, preparing the seeker for bhakti and liberation under Pati (Shiva).
By emphasizing a Nandikeśa-rooted teaching and the merit gained through hearing, the verse frames Linga/Saguna-Shiva worship as something learned through faithful transmission—listening to Shiva-kathā leads to correct devotion, pilgrimage, and ritual understanding in the Kotirudra context.
The implied practice is regular śravaṇa of Shiva Purana (Shiva-kathā) with devotion; as a takeaway, one may listen while mentally repeating the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating steadiness and purity.