The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra
Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana
महादेवाय शब्दांते धीमहि स्यात्ततः परम् । विद्या द्वितीया कथिता तन्नो रुद्रः पदं ततः ॥ ६८ ॥
mahādevāya śabdāṃte dhīmahi syāttataḥ param | vidyā dvitīyā kathitā tanno rudraḥ padaṃ tataḥ || 68 ||
在圣音(Śabda)之末,当观想大天(Mahādeva);由此显现至上者。此被教授为第二Vidyā;由此,愿鲁陀罗(Rudra)赐予我们彼之境位(pada)。
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedāṅga/śabda-vidyā sequence)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
It teaches that contemplation (dhīmahi) focused at the culmination of sacred sound (śabdānta) leads one toward the Supreme (param), and that Rudra’s grace establishes the seeker in the final spiritual ‘station’ (pada).
Bhakti is expressed here as mantra-centered reverence: the devotee meditates on Mahādeva/Rudra through sacred sound, seeking not merely knowledge but the bestowed ‘pada’—a stable realization granted by divine grace.
It reflects śabda-centric discipline—how sound and its completion (śabdānta) are treated as a technical locus for mantra practice, aligning with Vedāṅga concerns such as correct phonetic/recitational focus (Śikṣā) and meaningful mantra application.