Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
देव्याः क्रोधः शक्तिनिर्माणं च
Devī’s Wrath and the Manifestation of the Śaktis
नारद उवाच । ब्रह्मन् वद महाप्राज्ञ तद्वृत्तान्तेखिले श्रुते । किमकार्षीन्महादेवी श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः
nārada uvāca | brahman vada mahāprājña tadvṛttāntekhile śrute | kimakārṣīnmahādevī śrotumicchāmi tattvataḥ
Nārada dit : «Ô Brahmā, ô toi d’une grande sagesse, après avoir entendu tout le récit de ces événements, dis-moi en vérité : qu’a fait Mahādevī ? Je souhaite l’entendre selon le tattva, le principe réel.»
Nārada
Tattva Level: pashu
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights a seeker’s insistence on tattva—truth as it really is—showing that Shaiva understanding is not mere story-hearing but discerning the divine intent behind Mahādevī’s actions in relation to Śiva.
By asking what Mahādevī did “in truth,” Nārada prepares the ground for understanding how divine acts support Saguna devotion—where Śiva is approached through worship, narrative, and reverence—while still pointing toward the deeper tattva behind forms.
The practical takeaway is śravaṇa (attentive listening) joined with tattva-vicāra (contemplation on truth), which in Shaiva practice is commonly supported by japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and focused remembrance of Śiva-Śakti.