Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1
तारकासुर-पूर्ववृत्त-प्रश्नः (Questions on Tārakāsura and Śivā’s tapas) / “Inquiry into Tārakāsura’s origin and Śivā–Śiva narrative”
नारद उवाच । विष्णुशिष्य महाशैव सम्यगुक्तं त्वया विधे । चरितं परमं ह्येतच्छिवायाश्च शिवस्य च
nārada uvāca | viṣṇuśiṣya mahāśaiva samyaguktaṃ tvayā vidhe | caritaṃ paramaṃ hyetacchivāyāśca śivasya ca
那罗陀说道：“噢毗湿奴之弟子，噢大湿婆信徒，噢毗提（梵天），你所言确实圆满正确。这正是至上的神圣事迹——关于湿婆女神（帕尔瓦蒂）与湿婆。”
Nārada
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: This is a framing dialogue (Nārada praising Brahmā’s narration) rather than a site-origin; it sacralizes the Śiva-Śivā carita as ‘parama’.
Significance: Hearing/reciting the Śiva-Śivā carita is presented as a supreme purāṇic upāya for bhakti and right understanding of the divine couple.
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse affirms that the Śiva–Śivā (Śakti) narrative is “parama” (supreme), indicating that liberation-oriented understanding arises from honoring both Śiva as Pati (the Lord) and Śivā as His inseparable power—central to Shaiva Siddhānta devotion and theology.
By praising the ‘supreme account’ of Śiva and Śivā, it supports saguna-upāsanā (devotional worship with form and qualities), where the devotee approaches Śiva (often as Liṅga) together with reverence for His Śakti, the dynamic presence that makes grace and transformation accessible.
The practical takeaway is śravaṇa and smaraṇa—listening to and contemplating Śiva–Pārvatī charita with bhakti; this is naturally paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as a focused meditative discipline.