Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
गणेशोत्पत्ति-प्रसङ्गः / Episode on the Origin of Gaṇeśa (Śvetakalpa Account)
सूत उवाच । तारकारेरिति श्रुत्वा वृत्तमद्भुतमुत्तमम् । नारदस्सुप्रसन्नोथ पप्रच्छ प्रीतितो विधिम्
sūta uvāca | tārakāreriti śrutvā vṛttamadbhutamuttamam | nāradassuprasannotha papraccha prītito vidhim
Sūta said: Hearing that most wondrous and excellent account concerning the foe of Tāraka, Nārada was greatly delighted; and, filled with devotion, he then asked about the proper procedure (of worship and observance).
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pashu
Significance: Establishes the bhakta’s response: hearing adbhuta-kathā leads to prasāda and prompts inquiry into vidhi (right observance), a key step from narrative devotion to regulated practice.
FAQs
It shows the Shaiva principle that sacred hearing (śravaṇa) ripens into devotion and right inquiry—joyful reverence leads one to ask for the correct vidhi, turning story into sādhanā.
By emphasizing “vidhi,” it points to worship done with understanding and devotion—typical of Saguna Shiva practice in the Purāṇa, where hearing Shiva’s līlā inspires disciplined rites rather than mere admiration.
The takeaway is to seek and follow the proper method of worship—commonly expressed in Shaiva practice as mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī), and regulated observances performed with devotion and scriptural guidance.