Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 35
कार्त्तिकेयान्वेषण-नन्दिसंवाद-वर्णनम्
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लक्ष्मी सरस्वती मेना सावित्री सर्वयोषितः । विष्णुस्सर्वे च देवाश्च ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददुर्धनम्
lakṣmī sarasvatī menā sāvitrī sarvayoṣitaḥ | viṣṇussarve ca devāśca brāhmaṇebhyo dadurdhanam
Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Menā, Sāvitrī, and all noble women—together with Viṣṇu and all the gods—bestowed wealth upon the brāhmaṇas, upholding sacred dharma and the divine order that ultimately leads beings to Śiva’s grace.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse depicts devas and devīs sustaining dharma through dāna to brāhmaṇas, a social-ritual support that preserves the sacrificial order in which Śiva’s anugraha later becomes accessible.
Significance: Frames dāna and honoring adhikārins (brāhmaṇas/ritviks) as dharma-sustaining merit (puṇya) that purifies the paśu and prepares it for Śiva-bhakti and later grace.
Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā
Role: nurturing
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse highlights dāna (righteous giving) to brāhmaṇas as a dharmic act honored by gods and goddesses; in Shaiva thought, such dharma purifies the heart and becomes a support for bhakti that ripens into Śiva’s anugraha (grace).
Linga-worship is traditionally accompanied by dharmic supports like charity and honoring the worthy; this verse frames such giving as part of sustaining sacred order, which strengthens saguna-Śiva devotion and prepares the seeker for deeper realization.
A practical takeaway is to pair Śiva-pūjā with dāna—especially anna-dāna or dakṣiṇā to learned brāhmaṇas—offered with humility and remembrance of Śiva (e.g., japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) so the act becomes devotional rather than merely social.