Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्
The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms
नारद उवाच । विधे विधे महाभाग धन्यस्त्वं सुरसत्तम । श्राविताद्याद्भुता शैवकथा परमपावनी
nārada uvāca | vidhe vidhe mahābhāga dhanyastvaṃ surasattama | śrāvitādyādbhutā śaivakathā paramapāvanī
Nārada dit : « Ô Vidhātṛ (Brahmā), ô Vidhātṛ ! Ô toi le très fortuné, le meilleur parmi les dieux — tu es vraiment béni, car aujourd’hui tu m’as fait entendre ce récit śaiva de Śiva, merveilleux et souverainement purificateur. »
Narada
Tattva Level: pashu
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights śravaṇa (devotional listening) as a direct purifier: hearing Śiva-kathā cleanses the mind and turns the seeker toward Pati (Śiva), loosening pāśa (bondage) and ripening devotion.
By declaring Śiva-kathā “supremely purifying,” it affirms Saguna devotion—approaching Śiva through name, form, and sacred narrative—which naturally supports Linga worship as a concrete focus for faith and remembrance.
Regular śravaṇa of Shiva Purana (listening/recitation) as a vrata-like discipline—ideally alongside japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—is the practical takeaway implied by the praise of being “made to hear” Śiva-kathā.