Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 43
दिव्य-भवन-छत्र-निर्माणः तथा देवसमाह्वानम्
Divine Pavilion and Canopy; Summoning the Gods
किमुत्तरमहं दास्ये गत्वा शंकरसन्निधौ । इति संचिंत्य बहुधा पश्चात्तापोऽभवत्तदा
kimuttaramahaṃ dāsye gatvā śaṃkarasannidhau | iti saṃciṃtya bahudhā paścāttāpo'bhavattadā
«Quelle réponse donnerai-je lorsque j’irai en présence de Śaṅkara ?» À force d’y penser maintes fois, elle fut alors submergée par le repentir.
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating the Satīkhaṇḍa account to the sages)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights inner self-examination (saṃcintā) and repentance (paścāttāpa) as a purifying turn of the heart before approaching Śiva; in Shaiva thought, humility and remorse soften the ego and make one receptive to Śiva’s anugraha (grace).
“Śaṅkara-sannidhi” implies coming near the compassionate, personal (saguṇa) Lord; devotion is not merely external ritual but an inner readiness—repentance and truthful speech—when standing before Śiva in the temple or before the Liṅga.
A practical takeaway is to perform brief self-reflection and confession of faults before pūjā: mentally bow to Śiva, recite the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and approach worship with sincerity and corrected intention.