नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”
तस्मादयोनिजे पुत्रे मृत्युहीने प्रयत्नतः । परित्यजाशां विप्रेन्द्र गृहाणात्मक्षमं सुतम्
tasmādayonije putre mṛtyuhīne prayatnataḥ | parityajāśāṃ viprendra gṛhāṇātmakṣamaṃ sutam
เพราะฉะนั้น โอพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ จงเพียรพยายามเพื่อบุตรผู้ “อโยนิชะ” มิได้เกิดจากครรภ์ และเป็นผู้พ้นมฤตยู ละความคาดหวังทางโลก แล้วรับบุตรผู้เหมาะแก่ปรมาตมัน ผู้ชี้นำสู่โมกษะเถิด
Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic teaching to the sages)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakshinamurti
Role: teaching
It urges renunciation of worldly expectations and points to the ‘deathless son’ as the inner, spiritual attainment—devotion and Self-knowledge under Shiva’s grace—leading beyond mortality toward moksha.
By shifting focus from perishable outcomes to the imperishable, it aligns worship with Shiva as both Saguna (approached through Linga-pūjā) and the gateway to the Nirguna reality—where the devotee seeks liberation rather than mere worldly gain.
A practical takeaway is disciplined Shiva-upāsanā with mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and a vow of vairāgya—using worship to dissolve desire and cultivate liberation-oriented devotion.