Shloka 54
नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”
विप्रयोरित्युक्तवतोः शिलादः पुत्रवत्सलः । तमालिङ्ग्य च दुःखार्त्तो रुरोदातीव विस्वरम्
viprayorityuktavatoḥ śilādaḥ putravatsalaḥ | tamāliṅgya ca duḥkhārtto rurodātīva visvaram
When the two brāhmaṇas had spoken thus, Śilāda—ever affectionate toward his son—embraced him; and, stricken with sorrow, he wept loudly, as though his voice had broken.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It shows the human condition of bondage (pāśa) through grief and attachment, and sets the stage for taking refuge in Pati (Lord Shiva), whose grace alone can turn suffering into a path of liberation.
Śilāda’s sorrow highlights the limits of worldly security; in the Shiva Purana this often becomes the turning point that leads the devotee to Saguna Shiva—especially Linga-worship—as a steady support for protection, blessing, and eventual realization.
In times of distress, the practical takeaway is to take śaraṇāgati (refuge) through japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—along with simple Linga-pūjā (water offering) and, where appropriate, Tripuṇḍra bhasma and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness in devotion.