Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 3
त्रिपुरमोहनम्
Tripuramohana — “The Delusion/Enchanting of Tripura”
अरिहन्नुवाच । शृणु दैत्यपते वाक्यं मम सञ्ज्ञानगर्भितम् । वेदान्तसारसर्वस्वं रहस्यं परमोत्तमम्
arihannuvāca | śṛṇu daityapate vākyaṃ mama sañjñānagarbhitam | vedāntasārasarvasvaṃ rahasyaṃ paramottamam
Arihan dit : «Écoute, ô seigneur des Daityas, mes paroles chargées de juste discernement. Elles sont l’essence et le sens total du Vedānta, un enseignement secret, suprême et très excellent.»
Arihan
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: Arihan introduces a rahasya teaching claimed as the essence of Vedānta, delivered to a daitya ruler—an inversion motif where even the ‘other’ becomes eligible for liberating instruction through grace and initiation.
Significance: Frames jñāna as a form of Śiva’s anugraha; encourages seekers to receive instruction with śravaṇa-bhāva (listen attentively) as a first step toward release from pāśa.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It frames the coming instruction as sañjñāna—true discriminative knowledge—presented as the hidden essence of Vedānta, implying that liberation is grounded in inner discernment culminating in realization of the Supreme (Śiva) as Pati.
By calling the teaching a “supreme secret,” it prepares the listener to see outer worship (such as Linga-upāsanā) as a doorway to inner knowledge—moving from Saguna devotion toward direct insight into Śiva’s supreme reality.
The verse emphasizes śravaṇa (reverent listening) as the first discipline; in Shaiva practice this is supported by mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and contemplative inquiry into the teaching’s meaning.