Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
शिवदूतगमनानन्तरं शङ्खचूडस्य तुलसीसम्भाषणं युद्धप्रस्थान-तत्परता च / After Śiva’s Messenger Departs: Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Counsel with Tulasī and Readiness for War
व्यास उवाच । विधितात महाबुद्धे मुने जीव चिरं समाः । कथितं सुमहच्चित्रं चरितं चन्द्रमौलिनः
vyāsa uvāca | vidhitāta mahābuddhe mune jīva ciraṃ samāḥ | kathitaṃ sumahaccitraṃ caritaṃ candramaulinaḥ
व्यास उवाच—विधितात महाबुद्धे मुने, जीव चिरं समाः; त्वया कथितं सुमहच्चित्रं चरितं चन्द्रमौलिनः।
Vyāsa
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Chandramoulinaḥ
Sthala Purana: A framing benediction: Vyāsa affirms the wondrous carita of the Moon-crested Lord; functions as narrative ‘phala-śruti’ style praise of Śiva-kathā rather than a kṣetra origin.
Significance: Śiva-kathā-śravaṇa is treated as purifying; in Siddhānta terms, it supports śuddhi and receptivity to anugraha through devotion and right understanding.
Type: stotra
FAQs
It affirms the sacred power of śravaṇa and kīrtana—hearing and recounting Śiva’s wondrous deeds—with a blessing for longevity and spiritual merit for the narrator and listener.
By praising “Candramauli,” the verse highlights Saguna Śiva—Śiva with auspicious attributes—whose līlās and forms (including the Liṅga) are approached through devotion and reverent narration.
Regular recitation and listening to Śiva Purāṇa kathā as a devotional sādhana, ideally alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”