Shloka 18
पुराणश्रवणप्रस्तावः
Prologue to the Recitation of the Śaiva Purāṇa
ब्रह्मोवाच । साध्यं शिवपदप्राप्तिः साधनं तस्य सेवनम् । साधकस्तत्प्रसादाद्योऽनित्यादिफलनिःस्पृहः
brahmovāca | sādhyaṃ śivapadaprāptiḥ sādhanaṃ tasya sevanam | sādhakastatprasādādyo'nityādiphalaniḥspṛhaḥ
Brahmā said: “The goal to be attained is the attainment of Śiva’s state (Śivapada). The means to that is devoted service to Him. And the true practitioner—by His grace—becomes free from craving for transient and other lesser results.”
Brahma
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: As this is in the Viśveśvara-saṃhitā, the teaching is framed around Kāśī’s Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha: Śiva’s ‘pada’ is approached through sevā-bhakti and His prasāda, rather than through merely transient karmaphala.
Significance: Darśana and sevā oriented to ‘Śivapada’ (mokṣa/śivānubhava), cultivating niḥspṛhatā (dispassion toward anitya-phala).
Type: stotra
FAQs
It defines the Shaiva path clearly: the highest aim is Śivapada (union with/attainment of Śiva’s state), and the effective means is loving service (sevana). A genuine seeker is recognized by vairāgya—freedom from craving for temporary rewards—arising through Śiva’s grace.
“Sevana” directly supports Saguna worship—serving Śiva through Linga-pūjā, mantra-japa, and daily devotion—by which the mind is purified and led toward the supreme reality of Śiva (Śivapada).
The practical takeaway is steady Śiva-sevā: regular Linga worship with mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), performed without bargaining for worldly fruits, cultivating desirelessness and reliance on Śiva’s grace.