Shiva Purana — Kotirudra Samhita, Shloka 51
Nāgeśa-jyotirliṅga-prādurbhāvaḥ — The Manifestation of the Nāgeśa Jyotirliṅga
यथोक्तरूपी शंभुश्च प्रत्यक्षं सर्वमाददे । सोपि स्वयं न जानाति गृह्यते न शिवेन वै
yathoktarūpī śaṃbhuśca pratyakṣaṃ sarvamādade | sopi svayaṃ na jānāti gṛhyate na śivena vai
シャンブ（Śambhu）は説かれたとおりの姿を取り、眼前に直に顕れて、彼らの前の一切を受け取られた。されど御身は感官の対象として「知られ」得ない。なぜならシヴァ（Śiva）は誰にも把握されず、何ものにも収められない—シヴァご自身にとってさえ、対象として掴まれ得ぬからである。
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Teaches apophatic transcendence: even when Śiva manifests and ‘accepts’ offerings, His svarūpa is not objectifiable—pilgrimage culminates in humility before the ungraspable Lord.
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse teaches that while Shiva may appear in a perceivable (saguṇa) form for devotees, his true nature as Pati—the supreme consciousness—cannot be reduced to an object of ordinary knowing; liberation comes through grace and right devotion, not mere sensory grasping.
It supports Linga and saguṇa worship as a compassionate, direct manifestation (pratyakṣa) of Shiva for the devotee, while affirming that the Linga points beyond form to the transcendent Shiva who remains ultimately ungraspable.
Practice dhyāna on Shiva as both manifest and beyond grasp—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with inward surrender—recognizing that realization is by Shiva’s grace rather than by mental capture.