Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8
विभूतिविस्तरप्रश्नः / Inquiry into the Expansion of Śiva’s Vibhūti
इत्याकर्ण्य शुभां वाणीमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः । विभूतिविस्तरं श्रोतुमूचुस्ते परमं वचः
ityākarṇya śubhāṃ vāṇīmṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ | vibhūtivistaraṃ śrotumūcuste paramaṃ vacaḥ
ആ ശുഭവാണി കേട്ട്, മലിനതകൾ ക്ഷയിച്ച ഋഷിമാർ വിഭൂതിയുടെ വിപുലത കേൾക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു പരമമായ അപേക്ഷ ഉച്ചരിച്ചു.
The sages (ṛṣis) addressing Suta Goswami in the Vayu Samhita discourse
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a Jyotirliṅga; it frames the transmission of Śiva-vibhūti-kathā as purifying and grace-bearing for qualified listeners (kṣīṇakalmaṣa).
Significance: Śravaṇa (hearing) of Śiva’s vibhūti is itself a tīrtha-like purifier; emphasizes sādhana through satsanga and kathā-śravaṇa.
FAQs
It highlights śravaṇa (devotional listening) as a purifier: when the mind becomes kṣīṇa-kalmaṣa (freed from impurities), the seeker naturally longs to hear Shiva’s vibhūti—His divine manifestations and sacred greatness—leading toward bhakti and liberation.
By requesting the detailed ‘vibhūti-vistara,’ the sages seek understanding of Shiva’s manifest (saguṇa) glories—often taught through Linga-centered narratives, sacred powers, and forms—so that devotion gains clarity and steadiness.
The implied practice is regular śravaṇa and manana: hear Shiva-kathā with reverence and reflect on it daily; this supports inner purification and strengthens bhakti (commonly paired in Shaiva practice with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”).