नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”
तस्मादयोनिजे पुत्रे मृत्युहीने प्रयत्नतः । परित्यजाशां विप्रेन्द्र गृहाणात्मक्षमं सुतम्
tasmādayonije putre mṛtyuhīne prayatnataḥ | parityajāśāṃ viprendra gṛhāṇātmakṣamaṃ sutam
അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ വിപ്രശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ മരണരഹിതനായ അയോനിജ പുത്രനെ പ്രാപിക്ക. ലോകാശ ത്യജിച്ച്, ആത്മാവിന് യോഗ്യനും മോക്ഷമാർഗ്ഗം നയിക്കുവാൻ ശേഷിയുള്ളവനുമായ ആ പുത്രനെ സ്വീകരിക്ക.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic teaching to the sages)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakshinamurti
Role: teaching
It urges renunciation of worldly expectations and points to the ‘deathless son’ as the inner, spiritual attainment—devotion and Self-knowledge under Shiva’s grace—leading beyond mortality toward moksha.
By shifting focus from perishable outcomes to the imperishable, it aligns worship with Shiva as both Saguna (approached through Linga-pūjā) and the gateway to the Nirguna reality—where the devotee seeks liberation rather than mere worldly gain.
A practical takeaway is disciplined Shiva-upāsanā with mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and a vow of vairāgya—using worship to dissolve desire and cultivate liberation-oriented devotion.