श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः
The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva
मनोमत्प्रवणं चित्तं न मनोमात्रमुच्यते । मन्नामनिरता वाणी वाङ्मता खलु नेतरा । लिंगैर्मच्छासनादिष्टैस्त्रिपुंड्रादिभिरंकितः । ममोपचारनिरतः कायः कायो न चेतरः
manomatpravaṇaṃ cittaṃ na manomātramucyate | mannāmaniratā vāṇī vāṅmatā khalu netarā | liṃgairmacchāsanādiṣṭaistripuṃḍrādibhiraṃkitaḥ | mamopacāranirataḥ kāyaḥ kāyo na cetaraḥ
Akal yang condong kepada-Ku tidaklah disebut ‘akal semata-mata’. Ucapan yang tekun pada Nama-Ku sahaja itulah benar-benar ‘ucapan’; selainnya bukan. Tubuh yang ditandai dengan lambang-lambang yang diperintahkan oleh titah-Ku—seperti Tripuṇḍra dan seumpamanya—serta tekun dalam pelayanan upacara kepada-Ku: itulah sahaja ‘tubuh’ yang sejati, bukan yang lain.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Mantra: (implicit) namaḥ śivāya / mannāma
Type: panchakshara
It defines inner and outer authenticity in Shaiva life: the mind becomes truly ‘mind’ when oriented to Pati (Shiva), speech becomes truly ‘speech’ when it rests in Shiva-Nama, and the body becomes truly ‘body’ when it is consecrated through prescribed Shaiva disciplines like Tripundra and worship (upacara).
By stressing Shiva’s ‘emblems’ and commanded observances, the verse supports Saguna worship through the Linga and visible Shaiva identifiers (Tripundra), teaching that external marks are meaningful when they express real inner devotion and service to Shiva.
Regular Shiva-Nama japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma marks) as a Shaiva vow, and performing Shiva-upacara (daily worship/service to the Linga) with a mind steadily inclined to Shiva.