Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 54
शिवतत्त्ववर्णनम् (Śiva-tattva-varṇana) — “Description/Exposition of the Principle of Śiva”
मुक्तिदोऽत्र भवानद्य भव लोके मदाज्ञया । मद्दर्शने फलं यद्वत्तदेव तव दर्शने
muktido'tra bhavānadya bhava loke madājñayā | maddarśane phalaṃ yadvattadeva tava darśane
Par Mon ordre, tu demeureras désormais en ce monde comme dispensateur de délivrance. Le fruit obtenu en Me contemplant, ce même fruit sera obtenu en te contemplant.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: The verse establishes a transferable salvific potency (darśana-phala) by Śiva’s command—an idea later localized in sthala-purāṇas where a liṅga/kshetra is declared ‘muktida’ (liberation-giving) by divine decree.
Significance: Frames darśana as a direct means to grace (anugraha): seeing the empowered locus/person becomes equivalent to seeing Śiva, thus legitimizing tīrtha-yātrā and liṅga-darśana as salvific supports for bound souls (paśu).
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that moksha ultimately arises from Shiva’s anugraha (grace): Shiva can empower a sacred presence or devotee to become “muktida,” so that their darshan conveys the same liberating merit as Shiva’s own darshan.
The verse supports Saguna worship through darshan: when Shiva invests His presence in a form, place, or empowered being, beholding it becomes spiritually equivalent to beholding Shiva—mirroring how Linga-darshan is treated as Shiva-darshan in Shaiva practice.
Seek darshan with bhakti and reverence—treating the sanctified presence as Shiva Himself; practically, this aligns with temple darshan, Linga worship, and japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Shiva’s grace as the source of liberation.