Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23
शैवधर्मप्रशंसा तथा पञ्चविधसाधनविभागः / Praise of Śaiva Dharma and the Fivefold Classification of Practice
शिवो महेश्वरश्चैव रुद्रो विष्णुः पितामहः । संसारवैद्यः सर्वज्ञः परमात्मेति मुख्यतः
śivo maheśvaraścaiva rudro viṣṇuḥ pitāmahaḥ | saṃsāravaidyaḥ sarvajñaḥ paramātmeti mukhyataḥ
तो शिव, महेश्वर आणि रुद्र म्हणून ओळखला जातो; तोच विष्णु आणि पितामह (ब्रह्मा)ही आहे। तो संसाररोगाचा वैद्य, सर्वज्ञ आणि मुख्यतः परमात्मा आहे।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Mantra: śivo maheśvaraścaiva rudro viṣṇuḥ pitāmahaḥ | saṃsāravaidyaḥ sarvajñaḥ paramātmeti mukhyataḥ
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It proclaims Shiva as the highest reality (Paramatman) who, while known by many divine names and functions, is fundamentally the omniscient Lord who heals beings from saṃsāra—bondage caused by ignorance and karmic limitation.
By affirming many names and roles of the one Supreme Lord, the verse supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-puja—as a valid approach to the same Paramatman, where form and name serve as accessible means to realize Shiva’s supreme nature.
Meditate on Shiva as the inner Paramatman and recite the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with devotion, seeking His grace as the ‘physician of saṃsāra’ who removes bondage and grants liberation.