Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 21
मङ्गलाचरणम्, तीर्थ-परिसरः, सूतागमनम् — Invocation, Sacred Setting, and the Arrival of Sūta
नंदिनं च तथा व्यासं साक्षात्सत्यवतीसुतम् । वक्ष्यामि परमं पुण्यं पुराणं वेदसंमितम्
naṃdinaṃ ca tathā vyāsaṃ sākṣātsatyavatīsutam | vakṣyāmi paramaṃ puṇyaṃ purāṇaṃ vedasaṃmitam
Kini aku akan mewartakan Purāṇa yang amat mulia ini, setara kewibawaannya dengan Veda—setelah terlebih dahulu menyanjung Nandin, dan juga Vyāsa, putera Satyavatī itu sendiri.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Significance: Emphasizes Purāṇa as vedasaṃmita (Veda-equivalent) for those unable to access Vedic adhikāra fully; śravaṇa becomes a grace-channel (anugraha) for liberation.
Role: teaching
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
The verse establishes an auspicious opening: by bowing to Nandin (Śiva’s foremost devotee and gatekeeper) and to Vyāsa (the revealer of Purāṇic wisdom), the narrator sanctifies the transmission and affirms that this Shaiva Purāṇa carries Veda-like authority for guiding the soul toward Śiva (Pati).
Invoking Nandin directly points to Śiva’s personal, saguna presence and the living tradition of devotion surrounding Śiva and the Liṅga; it frames the Purāṇa as a legitimate means to approach Śiva through hearing, remembrance, and temple-centered bhakti.
A key takeaway is śravaṇa (reverent listening/recitation) as a purifying practice: begin Purāṇa study with salutations to Śiva’s devotees and gurus, then listen with devotion—optionally accompanied by japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) for steadiness of mind.