Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 34
अनरण्यसुता–पिप्पलादचरितम् / The Episode of Anaraṇya’s Daughter and Sage Pippalāda
पद्मोवाच । त्वमेव धर्म सर्वेषां साक्षी निखिलकर्मणाम् । कथं मनो मे विज्ञातुं विडम्बयसि मां विभो
padmovāca | tvameva dharma sarveṣāṃ sākṣī nikhilakarmaṇām | kathaṃ mano me vijñātuṃ viḍambayasi māṃ vibho
Padmā thưa: “Chỉ Ngài là Dharma, là chứng tri nội tại của muôn loài, là Đấng thấy biết mọi hành vi. Ôi Đấng bao trùm khắp, sao Ngài lại giả như không biết lòng con mà trêu ghẹo con?”
Padma
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse affirms Shiva (as the supreme Lord) as Dharma itself and the sākṣī— the indwelling witness who knows every karma and even the unspoken intention. It teaches inner accountability and devotion rooted in the certainty that nothing is hidden from the Lord.
In Linga worship, the devotee approaches Shiva as both immanent and transcendent—present as the inner witness and approachable through a sacred form. This verse supports Saguna worship by showing the Lord engaging in divine play (teasing), while remaining Nirguna in omniscience as the witness of all.
A practical takeaway is sākṣī-bhāva meditation—remembering Shiva as the witness of thoughts and actions—along with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) before or during Linga pūjā, dedicating all karma to Shiva.