Shloka 73
नारदस्य विष्णूपदेशवर्णनम् — Nārada and Viṣṇu: Instruction after Delusion
नत्वा स्तुत्वा विशेषेण विधिं स्वजनकं मुने । प्रष्टव्यं शिवमाहात्म्यं बहुशः प्रीतचेतसा
natvā stutvā viśeṣeṇa vidhiṃ svajanakaṃ mune | praṣṭavyaṃ śivamāhātmyaṃ bahuśaḥ prītacetasā
Ô sage, après t’être incliné et avoir loué tout particulièrement Vidhī (Brahmā), ton propre géniteur, tu dois interroger maintes fois—le cœur empli de joie—sur la grandeur (māhātmya) du Seigneur Śiva.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga passage; it prescribes approaching Brahmā (Vidhī) with reverence to receive repeated instruction about Śiva’s greatness—an archetype of guru-śiṣya transmission.
Significance: Highlights the devotional etiquette that precedes sacred inquiry (praśna) and śravaṇa—key steps for transforming the bound soul’s understanding toward Śiva-centric liberation.
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches the Shaiva way of approach: humility (bowing), devotion (praise), and persistent inquiry into Śiva’s māhātmya—because repeated listening and questioning ripens the heart toward Śiva-bhakti and liberation.
By urging repeated inquiry into Śiva’s glory, it supports saguna-upāsanā: learning and hearing Śiva’s qualities and deeds strengthens devotion that culminates in reverent worship—commonly expressed in Śiva-liṅga pūjā and recitation of Śiva-stotras.
A practical takeaway is śravaṇa and praśna (hearing and devotional questioning) after offering namaskāra and stuti—ideally alongside daily Śiva-nāma japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”).