Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 6
मुनिप्रश्नवर्णनम्
Description of the Sages’ Questions
ऋषय ऊचुः । विद्येश्वरसंहितायाः श्रुता सा सत्कथा शुभा । साध्यसाधनखंडा ख्या रम्याद्या भक्तवत्सला
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | vidyeśvarasaṃhitāyāḥ śrutā sā satkathā śubhā | sādhyasādhanakhaṃḍā khyā ramyādyā bhaktavatsalā
The sages said: “We have heard that auspicious and holy discourse of the Vidyeśvara-saṃhitā, renowned as the section on the spiritual goal and its means. It is delightful from the very beginning and tenderly compassionate to devotees.”
The sages (ṛṣis) at Naimiṣāraṇya addressing Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
FAQs
It frames the Purana as a practical Shaiva guide: it praises the earlier teaching as “sādhya–sādhana,” i.e., it clarifies both the supreme goal (Shiva’s grace and liberation) and the disciplined means (bhakti and worship) that lead the soul toward that goal.
By calling the teaching “bhaktavatsalā,” it emphasizes Shiva’s accessible, grace-filled aspect for devotees—typically approached through Saguna forms such as Linga worship, mantra, and ritual observances that mature devotion toward realization.
The verse points generally to sādhana: steady devotional practice such as japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), Linga-pūjā, and disciplined observances that align the devotee with Shiva’s grace.