Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्
The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms
नारद उवाच । विधे विधे महाभाग धन्यस्त्वं सुरसत्तम । श्राविताद्याद्भुता शैवकथा परमपावनी
nārada uvāca | vidhe vidhe mahābhāga dhanyastvaṃ surasattama | śrāvitādyādbhutā śaivakathā paramapāvanī
Nārada thưa: “Ôi Vidhātṛ (Phạm Thiên Brahmā), ôi Vidhātṛ! Bậc đại phúc, tối thắng trong chư thiên—thật phước thay cho Ngài, vì hôm nay Ngài đã khiến con được nghe câu chuyện Śiva kỳ diệu, thanh tịnh tối thượng.”
Narada
Tattva Level: pashu
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse highlights śravaṇa (devotional listening) as a direct purifier: hearing Śiva-kathā cleanses the mind and turns the seeker toward Pati (Śiva), loosening pāśa (bondage) and ripening devotion.
By declaring Śiva-kathā “supremely purifying,” it affirms Saguna devotion—approaching Śiva through name, form, and sacred narrative—which naturally supports Linga worship as a concrete focus for faith and remembrance.
Regular śravaṇa of Shiva Purana (listening/recitation) as a vrata-like discipline—ideally alongside japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—is the practical takeaway implied by the praise of being “made to hear” Śiva-kathā.