Shloka 17
नभोवाणी-दक्ष-निन्दा तथा सती-माहात्म्य-प्रतिपादनम् / The Celestial Voice Rebukes Dakṣa and Proclaims Satī’s Greatness
अनंतधनधान्यानां यागादीनां तथैव च । दर्शनं शंकरस्यैव महत्फलमुदाहृतम्
anaṃtadhanadhānyānāṃ yāgādīnāṃ tathaiva ca | darśanaṃ śaṃkarasyaiva mahatphalamudāhṛtam
Even compared with endless wealth and grain, and with sacrifices (yajña) and other rites, the mere darśana—the holy vision—of Śaṅkara alone is declared to yield the greatest fruit.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: The verse articulates a common Purāṇic valuation: darśana of Śiva surpasses material abundance and even elaborate yāgas; many jyotirliṅga legends use this logic to elevate simple worship at the liṅga over royal sacrifices.
Significance: Promises ‘mahat-phala’ through Śiva-darśana—supporting the bhakti principle that grace outweighs costly ritual and wealth.
Offering: dipa
FAQs
It elevates Śiva-darśana as a supreme grace-bearing act: contact with Pati (Śiva) gives a fruit greater than material abundance or ritual merit, pointing toward liberation-oriented bhakti rather than worldly reward.
Darśana is central to Saguna worship—beholding Śiva in the Liṅga or a consecrated form is treated as direct devotional encounter, through which Śiva’s grace matures the soul beyond what formal sacrifices alone can accomplish.
Prioritize Śiva-darśana through temple/śrīliṅga visitation, paired with simple bhakti acts like pañcākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and respectful worship, treating vision of Śiva as the heart of the practice.