Shloka 6
दशशैवव्रतप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the Ten Principal Śaiva Vratas
यथा भवद्भिः पृच्छेत तथा पृष्टं हि वेधसा । हरिणा शिवया चैव तथा वै शंकरं प्रति
yathā bhavadbhiḥ pṛccheta tathā pṛṣṭaṃ hi vedhasā | hariṇā śivayā caiva tathā vai śaṃkaraṃ prati
Sebagaimana kalian bertanya, demikianlah soalan yang sama telah diajukan kepada Śaṅkara—oleh Sang Pencipta (Brahmā), oleh Hari (Viṣṇu), dan juga oleh Śivā (Pārvatī).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: General: the same ‘which vrata pleases Śiva’ question is portrayed as universally significant—asked by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Pārvatī—mirroring pan-Indian pilgrimage narratives where even gods seek Śiva’s upāya.
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
FAQs
It establishes Śaṅkara as the supreme and reliable source of liberating knowledge (pati-jñāna): even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Pārvatī approach Him with the same essential inquiry, so the sages’ question is part of a timeless Shaiva tradition of seeking grace-bestowing instruction.
By pointing to Śaṅkara as the one repeatedly questioned by the highest deities, the verse supports approaching Saguna Śiva—especially through the Śiva-liṅga—as the accessible embodiment of the Supreme who answers devotees and grants siddhi and mokṣa.
The takeaway is to adopt the disciple’s stance—humble inquiry and attentive listening—supported by daily Śiva-upāsanā such as japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and liṅga-pūjā with devotion.