Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 26
पार्वत्याः पितृगृहगमनं तथा मङ्गलस्वागतम् | Pārvatī’s Return to Her Father’s House and the Auspicious Welcome
एतस्मिन्नंतरे शंभुस्सुलीलो भक्तवत्सलः । सुनर्तकनटो भूत्वा मेनकासंनिधिं ययौ
etasminnaṃtare śaṃbhussulīlo bhaktavatsalaḥ | sunartakanaṭo bhūtvā menakāsaṃnidhiṃ yayau
其间，商婆（Śambhu）——常于神圣的利拉中嬉游，且怜爱诸奉者——化作一位卓越的舞伎艺人，前往梅那迦（Menakā）面前。
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Naṭarāja
Role: teaching
FAQs
It highlights Śiva as bhaktavatsala—He freely adopts a suitable form through līlā to guide events toward dharma and the devotee’s spiritual good, showing that the Supreme Pati is also intimately accessible in Saguna expression.
Just as the Liṅga is a compassionate, worship-accessible manifestation of the transcendent, Śiva here takes a visible, relatable form (a dancer-actor) to interact within the world—affirming Saguna worship as a valid doorway to realizing the Supreme.
A practical takeaway is bhakti with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Śiva’s līlā and compassion; this steadies the mind and aligns the devotee with Śiva’s guiding presence.