Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23
शैवधर्मप्रशंसा तथा पञ्चविधसाधनविभागः / Praise of Śaiva Dharma and the Fivefold Classification of Practice
शिवो महेश्वरश्चैव रुद्रो विष्णुः पितामहः । संसारवैद्यः सर्वज्ञः परमात्मेति मुख्यतः
śivo maheśvaraścaiva rudro viṣṇuḥ pitāmahaḥ | saṃsāravaidyaḥ sarvajñaḥ paramātmeti mukhyataḥ
从本质上说，祂被称为湿婆、摩诃自在天（Maheśvara）与鲁陀罗；亦被称作毗湿奴与“祖父”（Pitāmaha，梵天）。祂是医治轮回之病的圣医，是全知的主宰，而最重要的是至上我（Paramātman）。
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Mantra: śivo maheśvaraścaiva rudro viṣṇuḥ pitāmahaḥ | saṃsāravaidyaḥ sarvajñaḥ paramātmeti mukhyataḥ
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It proclaims Shiva as the highest reality (Paramatman) who, while known by many divine names and functions, is fundamentally the omniscient Lord who heals beings from saṃsāra—bondage caused by ignorance and karmic limitation.
By affirming many names and roles of the one Supreme Lord, the verse supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-puja—as a valid approach to the same Paramatman, where form and name serve as accessible means to realize Shiva’s supreme nature.
Meditate on Shiva as the inner Paramatman and recite the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with devotion, seeking His grace as the ‘physician of saṃsāra’ who removes bondage and grants liberation.