Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 12
कैलासमार्गे शङ्करस्य परीक्षा — Śiva Tests the Approachers on the Kailāsa Path
पुनः पुरंदरोऽपृच्छ्ल्लोकानामधिपेश्वरः । तूष्णीमास महायोगी लीलारूपधरः प्रभुः
punaḥ puraṃdaro'pṛcchllokānāmadhipeśvaraḥ | tūṣṇīmāsa mahāyogī līlārūpadharaḥ prabhuḥ
உலகங்களின் அதிபதியான இந்திரன் மீண்டும் அவரிடம் கேள்வி கேட்டான்; ஆனால் திவ்ய லீலைக்காக உருவம் தரித்த அந்த மகாயோகி பிரபு மௌனமாக இருந்தார்.
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages, describing the scene)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
FAQs
Shiva’s silence signifies the transcendence of the Supreme (Pati) beyond conceptual speech; the Mahāyogī teaches that ultimate truth is realized through inner stillness and direct experience, not merely through questioning.
Though Shiva appears in a līlā-form (saguṇa for devotees), his silence points to the same formless depth indicated by the Liṅga—aniconic, beyond description—guiding worship from form to realization.
A key takeaway is dhyāna on inner silence: japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) followed by quiet absorption; this aligns devotion (bhakti) with yogic stillness.