Shloka 1
विष्णूत्पत्तिवर्णनम्
Description of the Origin/Manifestation of Viṣṇu
ब्रह्मोवाच । भो ब्रह्मन्साधु पृष्टोऽहं त्वया विबुधसत्तम । लोकोपकारिणा नित्यं लोकानां हितकाम्यया
brahmovāca | bho brahmansādhu pṛṣṭo'haṃ tvayā vibudhasattama | lokopakāriṇā nityaṃ lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā
Brahmā said: “O noble Brahmin, best among the wise, you have questioned me well—ever intent on the welfare of the worlds and desiring the good of all beings.”
Brahma
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Significance: Highlights loka-hita (universal welfare) as the motive for teaching Śiva-tattva; positions instruction as a form of grace benefiting all beings.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It establishes that sincere inquiry done for loka-hita (the good of all) is itself dharmic and worthy; such humility and right intention are presented as the proper doorway to receiving Shiva-tattva teachings.
By praising a questioner who seeks universal welfare, the text frames Shiva worship—especially Saguna Shiva approached through Linga—as not merely personal gain, but as a path that uplifts the world through dharma, devotion, and right understanding.
The implied practice is śravaṇa and manana (devotional listening and reflection) with pure intention; it supports mantra-japa such as the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) undertaken for inner purification and the welfare of beings.