Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15
श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः
The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva
ईश्वर उवाच । न कर्मणा न तपसा न जपैर्नासनादिभिः । न ज्ञानेन न चान्येन वश्यो ऽहं श्रद्धया विना । श्रद्धा मय्यस्ति चेत्पुंसां येन केनापि हेतुना । वश्यः स्पृश्यश्च दृश्यश्च पूज्यस्संभाष्य एव च
īśvara uvāca | na karmaṇā na tapasā na japairnāsanādibhiḥ | na jñānena na cānyena vaśyo 'haṃ śraddhayā vinā | śraddhā mayyasti cetpuṃsāṃ yena kenāpi hetunā | vaśyaḥ spṛśyaśca dṛśyaśca pūjyassaṃbhāṣya eva ca
Le Seigneur dit : « Ce n'est ni par l'action rituelle, ni par l'austérité, ni par la répétition de mantras, ni par les postures et autres ; ni par la simple connaissance, ni par quoi que ce soit d'autre que je suis accessible sans la foi. Mais si les hommes ont foi en Moi, pour quelque raison que ce soit, alors je leur deviens accessible — pouvant être approché, touché, vu, adoré et même entretenu. »
Lord Shiva (Ishvara)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Establishes śraddhā/bhakti as the indispensable upāya for Śiva’s accessibility; frames darśana and sānnidhya as grace rather than mechanical ritual attainment.
FAQs
It teaches that Shiva is not “won” by external acts alone—karma, tapas, japa, or yogic techniques—unless they are rooted in śraddhā (faithful devotion). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, grace and inner receptivity (bhakti/śraddhā) make the Lord experientially present.
The verse supports Saguna upāsanā: when faith is present, Shiva becomes dṛśya (seen) and pūjya (worshipped). Linga worship is effective not merely as ritual performance but as devotion-filled approach that invites Shiva’s self-revelation.
It prioritizes cultivating śraddhā while performing practices like japa and worship. A practical takeaway is to do Shiva-pūjā/Linga-archana or Panchakshara japa with sincere devotion rather than treating them as mechanical techniques.