Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 45
स्कन्दसरः (Skandasara) — तीर्थवर्णनम् / Description of the Skandasara Sacred Lake
अभक्तो भक्तिमाप्नोति भक्तो भक्तिसमृद्धिभाक् । पुनः श्रुते च सद्भक्तिर्मुक्तिस्स्याच्च श्रुतेः पुनः
abhakto bhaktimāpnoti bhakto bhaktisamṛddhibhāk | punaḥ śrute ca sadbhaktirmuktissyācca śruteḥ punaḥ
Celui qui n’est pas dévot obtient la dévotion; le dévot, lui, reçoit l’abondance et l’enracinement dans la bhakti. En l’entendant encore, la vraie dévotion se raffermit; et en l’entendant maintes fois, la libération elle‑même advient.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Maps a graded soteriology: śravaṇa generates bhakti in the uninitiated, strengthens it in devotees, and culminates in mukti—mirroring pilgrimage pedagogy where repeated darśana/śravaṇa matures the soul.
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that śravaṇa (devout listening) to Shiva’s doctrine transforms the heart: it awakens bhakti in the indifferent, deepens it in devotees, stabilizes true devotion through repetition, and culminates in mukti by Shiva’s grace.
In Shaiva practice, hearing the Purana’s praise and teachings about Saguna Shiva and the Linga purifies understanding and strengthens loving surrender, which then matures into steady worship and, ultimately, realization of Shiva as Pati (the Liberator).
Regular śravaṇa and pāṭha (listening/recitation) of Shiva Purana passages—ideally alongside Panchakshara japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—as a repeated discipline that ripens devotion and supports liberation.