Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 19
श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः
The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva
आम्नायसिद्धमखिलं धर्ममाश्रमिणामिह । ब्रह्मणा कथितं पूर्वं ममैवाज्ञापुरस्सरम् । स तु पैतामहो धर्मो बहुवित्तक्रियान्वितः । नात्यन्त फलभूयिष्ठः क्लेशाया ससमन्वितः
āmnāyasiddhamakhilaṃ dharmamāśramiṇāmiha | brahmaṇā kathitaṃ pūrvaṃ mamaivājñāpurassaram | sa tu paitāmaho dharmo bahuvittakriyānvitaḥ | nātyanta phalabhūyiṣṭhaḥ kleśāyā sasamanvitaḥ
Segala dharma bagi mereka yang hidup dalam empat āśrama, yang teguh dalam tradisi Veda, dahulu telah diajarkan oleh Brahmā menurut perintah-Ku sendiri (Śiva). Namun dharma warisan leluhur itu, yang terikat dengan banyak upacara dan perbelanjaan besar, tidak menghasilkan buah yang amat agung; sebaliknya ia disertai kepayahan dan penderitaan.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Significance: Critiques ritual-heavy dharma as limited in fruit and burdened with kleśa, highlighting bondage through karma/māyā when not transmuted by Śiva-oriented devotion and grace.
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
Shiva states that Vedic āśrama-dharma and elaborate rites, though valid and divinely sanctioned, can be heavy with effort and not necessarily give the highest fruit. The verse points toward a higher Shaiva aim: liberation through Shiva’s grace, inner purity, and God-centered discipline rather than mere ritual complexity.
By contrasting wealth-intensive ritualism with the highest fruit, the verse supports the Shaiva emphasis on direct devotion to Shiva—often expressed through Linga worship—as a simpler, more inward, grace-oriented means. Saguna Shiva (worshipped as the Linga) becomes the accessible focus that can transcend mere external performance.
The takeaway is to prioritize inward Shaiva practice—japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), steady meditation on Shiva, and simple Linga-pūjā—over burdensome, costly rites. The verse implicitly favors practices that reduce kleśa (strain) and increase devotion and clarity.