Shloka 31
Viśvānara-Gṛhapati Upākhyāna — Śivasya Agni-gṛhe Avatāraḥ
The Account of Viśvānara Gṛhapati and Śiva’s Descent into the House of Fire
नन्दीश्वर उवाच । इति कृत्वा मतिन्धीरो विप्रो विश्वानरः कृती । चन्द्रकूपजले स्नात्वा जग्राह नियमं व्रती
nandīśvara uvāca | iti kṛtvā matindhīro vipro viśvānaraḥ kṛtī | candrakūpajale snātvā jagrāha niyamaṃ vratī
Nandīśvara dit : Ayant agi ainsi, le brāhmane Viśvānara, ferme d’esprit, capable et accompli, se baigna dans les eaux de Candrakūpa et, en ascète voué, entreprit le niyama, l’observance prescrite.
Nandīśvara (Nandi)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
FAQs
The verse highlights that inner steadiness (matindhairya) is expressed through outer discipline: purification by sacred bathing followed by niyama. In a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such regulated conduct prepares the devotee (paśu) to receive Shiva’s grace (Pati’s anugraha) by loosening bonds (pāśa) like impurity and distraction.
Though the Liṅga is not named in this line, the sequence—snāna (purificatory bath) and taking niyama—matches the standard preparatory steps for Saguna Shiva worship in the Purana tradition, where disciplined vows support focused pūjā, japa, and reverent approach to Shiva’s manifest form.
A tīrtha-like bath (snāna) followed by adopting niyama as a vrata—i.e., regulated conduct such as purity, restraint, and devotional routine—commonly paired with Shiva japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and other Shaiva observances.