Shloka 18
पुराणश्रवणप्रस्तावः
Prologue to the Recitation of the Śaiva Purāṇa
ब्रह्मोवाच । साध्यं शिवपदप्राप्तिः साधनं तस्य सेवनम् । साधकस्तत्प्रसादाद्योऽनित्यादिफलनिःस्पृहः
brahmovāca | sādhyaṃ śivapadaprāptiḥ sādhanaṃ tasya sevanam | sādhakastatprasādādyo'nityādiphalaniḥspṛhaḥ
พรหมาตรัสว่า “สิ่งที่พึงบรรลุคือการได้ถึงศิวปท; หนทางคือการรับใช้และภักดีต่อพระศิวะ. ส่วนผู้ปฏิบัติแท้จริง ด้วยพระกรุณาของพระองค์ ย่อมหมดความใคร่ในผลอันไม่เที่ยงและผลอันต่ำต้อยอื่นๆ”
Brahma
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: As this is in the Viśveśvara-saṃhitā, the teaching is framed around Kāśī’s Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha: Śiva’s ‘pada’ is approached through sevā-bhakti and His prasāda, rather than through merely transient karmaphala.
Significance: Darśana and sevā oriented to ‘Śivapada’ (mokṣa/śivānubhava), cultivating niḥspṛhatā (dispassion toward anitya-phala).
Type: stotra
FAQs
It defines the Shaiva path clearly: the highest aim is Śivapada (union with/attainment of Śiva’s state), and the effective means is loving service (sevana). A genuine seeker is recognized by vairāgya—freedom from craving for temporary rewards—arising through Śiva’s grace.
“Sevana” directly supports Saguna worship—serving Śiva through Linga-pūjā, mantra-japa, and daily devotion—by which the mind is purified and led toward the supreme reality of Śiva (Śivapada).
The practical takeaway is steady Śiva-sevā: regular Linga worship with mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), performed without bargaining for worldly fruits, cultivating desirelessness and reliance on Śiva’s grace.