Kṛṣṇādi-Śivabhaktoddhāraṇa & Śiva-māhātmya-varṇana
Deliverance of Krishna and other devotees; Description of Shiva’s Greatness
गार्ग्याय प्रददौ शर्वो मोक्षं च भुवि दुर्लभम् । कामचारी महाक्षेत्रं कालज्ञानं महर्द्धिमत्
gārgyāya pradadau śarvo mokṣaṃ ca bhuvi durlabham | kāmacārī mahākṣetraṃ kālajñānaṃ maharddhimat
ಶರ್ವನು ಗಾರ್ಗ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಭುವಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದುರ್ಲಭವಾದ ಮೋಕ್ಷವನ್ನೂ ದಯಪಾಲಿಸಿದನು; ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಇಚ್ಛಾನುಸಾರ ಸಂಚರಣೆ, ಮಹಾಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಪ್ರಾಪ್ತಿ, ಕಾಲಜ್ಞಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಮಹತ್ತಾದ ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯವನ್ನೂ ನೀಡಿದನು।
Suta Goswami (narrating the greatness of Shiva’s boons within the Uma Samhita discourse)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: The verse speaks of Śiva granting access to a ‘mahākṣetra’ (great sacred field). While not naming a Jyotirliṅga, this aligns with Purāṇic patterns where Śiva’s grace grants kṣetra-adhikāra (eligibility/entry) and tīrtha-phala.
Significance: Mahākṣetra access signifies intensified merit, purification, and readiness for mokṣa through kṣetra-vāsa/darśana.
Role: liberating
It presents Śiva as Pati—the liberating Lord—who can grant the highest goal (mokṣa) along with subsidiary siddhis; in Shaiva Siddhanta, such powers are secondary, while liberation is the supreme grace (anugraha).
The verse highlights Saguna Śiva (Śarva) as the compassionate bestower of boons; Linga-worship and devotion to Śiva’s manifest form are portrayed as direct means to receive His grace, culminating in mokṣa rather than mere worldly attainments.
The takeaway is to seek mokṣa through Śiva-bhakti supported by japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), along with traditional Shaiva observances like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa—treating siddhis as incidental, not the aim.