Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 42
श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः
The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva
फलकामनया कर्मकरणात्प्रतिबध्यते । न कर्ममात्रकरणात्तस्मात्कर्मफलं त्यजेत् । प्रथमं कर्मयज्ञेन बहिः सम्पूज्य मां प्रिये । ज्ञानयोगरतो भूत्वा पश्चाद्योगं समभ्यसेत्
phalakāmanayā karmakaraṇātpratibadhyate | na karmamātrakaraṇāttasmātkarmaphalaṃ tyajet | prathamaṃ karmayajñena bahiḥ sampūjya māṃ priye | jñānayogarato bhūtvā paścādyogaṃ samabhyaset
C’est en agissant avec le désir des fruits que l’âme se trouve liée, et non par l’action seule. Qu’on renonce donc à l’attachement au fruit des actes. D’abord, ô bien-aimée, adore-Moi extérieurement par le sacrifice de l’action (karmayajña) ; puis, vouée au yoga de la connaissance, exerce ensuite le Yoga avec constance.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that bondage arises from fruit-desire (phalakāmanā), not from action itself, and prescribes a Shaiva path that matures from outward worship to inner knowledge and meditative Yoga, culminating in liberation through Shiva’s grace.
It affirms a graded discipline: begin with external, saguna-oriented worship and ritual action offered to Shiva (including Linga-pūjā in practice), then refine into jñāna and yoga where the mind becomes fit to realize Shiva as the supreme Pati beyond bondage.
The verse suggests starting with karmayajña—performing prescribed worship and offerings to Shiva without craving results—followed by jñāna-yoga and sustained meditation (yoga-abhyāsa) to stabilize inner realization.