Viśvānara-Gṛhapati Upākhyāna — Śivasya Agni-gṛhe Avatāraḥ
The Account of Viśvānara Gṛhapati and Śiva’s Descent into the House of Fire
कर्ता हर्त्ता त्वं हि सर्वस्य शम्भो नानारूपेष्वेकरूपोऽप्यरूपः । यद्वत्प्रत्यग्धर्म एकोऽप्यनेकस्तस्मान्नान्यन्त्वां विनेशम्प्रपद्ये
kartā harttā tvaṃ hi sarvasya śambho nānārūpeṣvekarūpo'pyarūpaḥ | yadvatpratyagdharma eko'pyanekastasmānnānyantvāṃ vineśamprapadye
噢,商布(Śambhu)!唯有你是万有的创造者与收摄者。你虽示现无量形相,实则为一,而又超越一切形相。正如内在的一体真我因其作用而被称为多样,你的本体亦复如是。故除你之外,主宰啊,我不求他处归依。
A devotee-sage offering a hymn of surrender to Lord Shiva (as narrated within Śatarudrasaṃhitā by Suta Goswami).
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Type: stotra
It affirms Shiva as both the source and the dissolver of the cosmos, teaching that his many manifest forms are expressions of one supreme reality; liberation comes through exclusive surrender to that one Lord as the final refuge.
The verse supports Saguna worship (forms and names) while grounding it in Nirguna truth: the Linga and other forms are approachable manifestations of the same formless Shiva who transcends all form.
The takeaway is śaraṇāgati (surrender) supported by japa and contemplation—such as repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while meditating on Shiva as the one Lord appearing in many forms yet beyond form.