Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 20
हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्
The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms
नमस्कृत्य तदा शंभुं ज्ञानं प्राप्य हरेस्तदा । आनंदं परमं गत्वा सृष्टिं कर्तुं मनो दधे
namaskṛtya tadā śaṃbhuṃ jñānaṃ prāpya harestadā | ānaṃdaṃ paramaṃ gatvā sṛṣṭiṃ kartuṃ mano dadhe
Alors, après s’être prosterné devant Śambhu et avoir reçu de Hari (Viṣṇu) la connaissance divine, il atteignit la béatitude suprême ; puis il résolut d’accomplir l’œuvre de la création.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Mantra: नमस्कृत्य तदा शंभुं
Type: stotra
Cosmic Event: Transition from divine instruction to commencement of sṛṣṭi; bliss (ānanda) as the empowering state for creative function
FAQs
It presents creation as arising only after reverent surrender to Śambhu and the dawning of true jñāna, culminating in paramānanda—implying that right knowledge and devotion are the inner cause that enables righteous action in the cosmos.
By highlighting namaskāra to Śambhu before initiating creation, the verse supports Saguna devotion—approaching Shiva as the accessible, auspicious Lord (often worshiped as the Liṅga) whose grace and order underlie all manifestation.
The takeaway is to begin all undertakings with Śiva-namaskāra and jñāna-oriented remembrance—practically expressed through daily Liṅga-pūjā, mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and contemplative focus on Shiva as the source of auspiciousness.