Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 54
शिवतत्त्ववर्णनम् (Śiva-tattva-varṇana) — “Description/Exposition of the Principle of Śiva”
मुक्तिदोऽत्र भवानद्य भव लोके मदाज्ञया । मद्दर्शने फलं यद्वत्तदेव तव दर्शने
muktido'tra bhavānadya bhava loke madājñayā | maddarśane phalaṃ yadvattadeva tava darśane
నా ఆజ్ఞచేత నీవు ఇక ఈ లోకంలో మోక్షదాతగా నిలిచియుండుము. నా దర్శనంతో లభించే ఫలమే నీ దర్శనంతో కూడా లభించును.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: The verse establishes a transferable salvific potency (darśana-phala) by Śiva’s command—an idea later localized in sthala-purāṇas where a liṅga/kshetra is declared ‘muktida’ (liberation-giving) by divine decree.
Significance: Frames darśana as a direct means to grace (anugraha): seeing the empowered locus/person becomes equivalent to seeing Śiva, thus legitimizing tīrtha-yātrā and liṅga-darśana as salvific supports for bound souls (paśu).
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that moksha ultimately arises from Shiva’s anugraha (grace): Shiva can empower a sacred presence or devotee to become “muktida,” so that their darshan conveys the same liberating merit as Shiva’s own darshan.
The verse supports Saguna worship through darshan: when Shiva invests His presence in a form, place, or empowered being, beholding it becomes spiritually equivalent to beholding Shiva—mirroring how Linga-darshan is treated as Shiva-darshan in Shaiva practice.
Seek darshan with bhakti and reverence—treating the sanctified presence as Shiva Himself; practically, this aligns with temple darshan, Linga worship, and japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Shiva’s grace as the source of liberation.