Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 9
मङ्गलाचरणम्, तीर्थ-परिसरः, सूतागमनम् — Invocation, Sacred Setting, and the Arrival of Sūta
कथानां निपुणो वक्ता कालविन्नयवित्कविः । आजगाम स तं देशं सूतः पौराणिकोत्तमः
kathānāṃ nipuṇo vaktā kālavinnayavitkaviḥ | ājagāma sa taṃ deśaṃ sūtaḥ paurāṇikottamaḥ
Kemudian datanglah Sūta, yang terunggul antara para pengulas Purāṇa, ke wilayah itu—seorang pencerita kisah suci yang mahir, penyair yang memahami waktu dan tata susila yang benar.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Role: teaching
FAQs
It establishes the authority and fitness of the narrator: one who knows dharma (naya) and the right occasion (kāla) can transmit Shaiva teachings so they lead the listener toward bhakti and liberation (moksha) under Pati (Shiva).
In the Shiva Purana, devotion often begins with hearing authentic kathā from a qualified speaker; such śravaṇa prepares the mind for Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-upāsanā—by grounding practice in right understanding and conduct.
The implied practice is śravaṇa (devotional listening) to Shiva-kathā from a competent teacher, undertaken at the proper time and with disciplined conduct; this supports mantra-japa (e.g., Panchakshara) and steady meditation.