Shloka 1
नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”
अथ नन्दीश्वरावतारमाह । सनत्कुमार उवाच । भवान्कथमनुप्राप्तो महादेवांशजः शिवम् । श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्सर्वं वक्तुमर्हसि मे प्रभो
atha nandīśvarāvatāramāha | sanatkumāra uvāca | bhavānkathamanuprāpto mahādevāṃśajaḥ śivam | śrotumicchāmi tatsarvaṃ vaktumarhasi me prabho
Kini (teks) menceritakan penjelmaan Nandīśvara. Sanatkumāra berkata: “Wahai Tuan, bagaimana engkau datang—sebagai pancaran sebahagian daripada Mahādeva—dan bagaimana engkau menjadi pengiring suci Śiva? Aku ingin mendengar semuanya; mohon ceritakan kepadaku dengan lengkap, wahai Prabhu.”
Sanatkumara
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Role: teaching
FAQs
It opens the Nandīśvara-avatāra narrative by establishing śravaṇa (devotional listening) and guru–śiṣya inquiry, portraying Nandīśvara as an aṁśa (emanation) of Mahādeva and thus a model of pure Shaiva devotion and proximity to Pati (Śiva).
By asking about the Lord’s attendant born of Mahādeva’s portion, the verse frames Saguna Śiva’s accessible divine order—where devotion, service, and reverence to Śiva (often through Liṅga-worship) lead the seeker toward the grace of Pati.
The implied practice is śravaṇa and smaraṇa—hearing Śiva’s līlā with faith and contemplating it; devotees commonly pair such listening with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and simple Liṅga-upacāra as supportive disciplines.