Shloka 56
नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”
केन त्वं तात दुःखेन वेपमानश्च रोदिषि । दुःखं ते कुत उत्पन्नं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः
kena tvaṃ tāta duḥkhena vepamānaśca rodiṣi | duḥkhaṃ te kuta utpannaṃ jñātumicchāmi tattvataḥ
“Wahai anakku, mengapa engkau menggigil dan menangis dalam dukacita? Dari manakah datangnya kesedihan ini padamu? Aku ingin mengetahui hakikatnya dengan tepat.”
A compassionate narrator/elder addressing a distressed person (within Suta Goswami’s narration in the Shatarudrasaṃhitā context)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It models a Shaiva way of healing: instead of reacting to grief, one seeks its true cause (tattvataḥ). Such inquiry is the first step to loosening pasha (bondage) and turning the mind toward Pati (Shiva) as the refuge.
By asking the origin of sorrow, the seeker is guided from surface emotion to its root in ignorance and attachment; in Shiva Purana practice, this naturally culminates in taking shelter in Saguna Shiva through Linga-worship, prayer, and remembrance, where grief is offered and transformed.
A practical takeaway is self-inquiry followed by Shiva-smaraṇa: sit calmly, observe the cause of distress, then repeat the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while mentally offering the grief at Shiva’s feet.