Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 3
मेना-शिवदर्शन-प्रस्थानम् | Menā’s Quest to Behold Śiva
Departure for Śiva’s Darśana
तावद्ब्रह्मा समायातस्तेजसां गशिरुत्तमः । सर्षिवर्य्यसुतस्साक्षाद्धर्मपुंज इव स्तुतः
tāvadbrahmā samāyātastejasāṃ gaśiruttamaḥ | sarṣivaryyasutassākṣāddharmapuṃja iva stutaḥ
Ngay lúc ấy, Brahmā đến—bậc tối thượng giữa những đấng rực sáng, đứng đầu về uy quang—được tán dương như chính hiện thân của Dharma, hiển lộ bằng thân mình, tựa như người con lẫy lừng của bậc đại hiền thánh trong hàng ṛṣi.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
FAQs
The verse frames Brahmā as a luminous, Dharma-aligned cosmic authority, showing that even the highest deities are to be understood through the lens of Dharma that ultimately supports devotion to Pati (Śiva) and the soul’s right orientation.
By portraying Brahmā as ‘praised’ and ‘radiant,’ the text sets a devotional atmosphere where divine hierarchy culminates in reverence—preparing the listener for Saguna worship (including Liṅga-upāsanā) in which gods themselves participate as devotees within Śiva’s cosmic order.
The practical takeaway is to cultivate Dharma-based devotion: begin worship with praise (stuti), maintain purity and right conduct, and anchor the mind in mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) before proceeding to formal offerings.