Shloka 166
रुद्र-स्तवराजः (Rudra-Stavarāja) — Exempla of Śiva’s Boons and the Hymn’s Phalaśruti
एतद् देवेषु दुष्प्रापं मनुष्येषु न लभ्यते । निर्विघ्ना निश्चला रुद्रे भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी
etad deveṣu duṣprāpaṁ manuṣyeṣu na labhyate | nirvighnā niścalā rudre bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī ||
Vāyu dit : «Une telle dévotion inébranlable—sans entraves, stable et exclusive—envers Rudra est difficile à obtenir même parmi les dieux. Parmi les hommes, on ne la trouve pas aisément ; une telle dévotion ne naît pas d’elle-même, le plus souvent.»
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that truly obstacle-free, unwavering, and exclusive devotion to Rudra (Śiva) is exceedingly rare—so rare that even the gods find it difficult to attain; therefore humans should not assume such devotion arises automatically, but should cultivate it through disciplined practice and steadfast intent.
Vāyu is speaking and emphasizing the exceptional difficulty of attaining pure, undistracted devotion to Rudra. The statement functions as instruction and valuation: it elevates steadfast bhakti as a high spiritual achievement and cautions that it is uncommon among humans without deliberate effort.