Shloka 17
नभोवाणी-दक्ष-निन्दा तथा सती-माहात्म्य-प्रतिपादनम् / The Celestial Voice Rebukes Dakṣa and Proclaims Satī’s Greatness
अनंतधनधान्यानां यागादीनां तथैव च । दर्शनं शंकरस्यैव महत्फलमुदाहृतम्
anaṃtadhanadhānyānāṃ yāgādīnāṃ tathaiva ca | darśanaṃ śaṃkarasyaiva mahatphalamudāhṛtam
Walaupun dibandingkan dengan kekayaan dan hasil bijirin yang tidak berkesudahan, serta yajña dan upacara-upacara lain, darśana Śaṅkara semata-mata dinyatakan memberikan buah pahala yang paling agung.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: The verse articulates a common Purāṇic valuation: darśana of Śiva surpasses material abundance and even elaborate yāgas; many jyotirliṅga legends use this logic to elevate simple worship at the liṅga over royal sacrifices.
Significance: Promises ‘mahat-phala’ through Śiva-darśana—supporting the bhakti principle that grace outweighs costly ritual and wealth.
Offering: dipa
FAQs
It elevates Śiva-darśana as a supreme grace-bearing act: contact with Pati (Śiva) gives a fruit greater than material abundance or ritual merit, pointing toward liberation-oriented bhakti rather than worldly reward.
Darśana is central to Saguna worship—beholding Śiva in the Liṅga or a consecrated form is treated as direct devotional encounter, through which Śiva’s grace matures the soul beyond what formal sacrifices alone can accomplish.
Prioritize Śiva-darśana through temple/śrīliṅga visitation, paired with simple bhakti acts like pañcākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and respectful worship, treating vision of Śiva as the heart of the practice.