शुक्रोत्पत्तिः तथा महेश्वरदर्शनम् (Śukra’s Emergence and the Vision of Maheśvara)
महादेवं विरूपाक्षं चन्द्रार्द्धकृतशेखरम् । अमृतं शाश्वतं स्थाणुं नीलकंठं पिनाकिनम्
mahādevaṃ virūpākṣaṃ candrārddhakṛtaśekharam | amṛtaṃ śāśvataṃ sthāṇuṃ nīlakaṃṭhaṃ pinākinam
I bow to Mahādeva—Virūpākṣa, whose crest is adorned with the half-moon; the Deathless, the Everlasting; Sthāṇu, the Steadfast Lord; Nīlakaṇṭha, the Blue-throated; and Pinākin, bearer of the Pināka bow.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya within the Rudra Saṃhitā context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
The verse gathers key epithets of Śiva—immortal (amṛta), eternal (śāśvata), and steadfast (sthāṇu)—to direct the devotee toward Pati (the Supreme Lord) whose grace cuts bondage (pāśa) and grants liberation, while also affirming His compassionate Saguna form for devotion.
These names function as dhyāna (contemplative) identifiers for Saguna Śiva worship—especially in Liṅga-pūjā—where the formless truth is approached through sacred marks and attributes such as the crescent moon (candrārdha) and the blue throat (nīlakaṇṭha).
A practical takeaway is nāma-japa and dhyāna: chant these Śiva-nāmas (optionally with the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while visualizing Chandrārdhaśekhara and Nīlakaṇṭha; this can be paired with traditional Śaiva observances like applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and offering water to the Liṅga.