Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15
श्रद्धामाहात्म्यं तथा देवीप्रश्नः
The Greatness of Śraddhā and Devī’s Question to Śiva
ईश्वर उवाच । न कर्मणा न तपसा न जपैर्नासनादिभिः । न ज्ञानेन न चान्येन वश्यो ऽहं श्रद्धया विना । श्रद्धा मय्यस्ति चेत्पुंसां येन केनापि हेतुना । वश्यः स्पृश्यश्च दृश्यश्च पूज्यस्संभाष्य एव च
īśvara uvāca | na karmaṇā na tapasā na japairnāsanādibhiḥ | na jñānena na cānyena vaśyo 'haṃ śraddhayā vinā | śraddhā mayyasti cetpuṃsāṃ yena kenāpi hetunā | vaśyaḥ spṛśyaśca dṛśyaśca pūjyassaṃbhāṣya eva ca
主说：“不凭祭祀，不凭苦行，不凭持咒，不凭体位法等；不凭纯粹的知识，也不凭任何其他事物——若无虔信，我便不可得。但若世人因任何缘故对我生起虔信，我便对他们变得可亲近——可接近、可触摸、可见到、可崇拜，甚至可以交谈。”
Lord Shiva (Ishvara)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Establishes śraddhā/bhakti as the indispensable upāya for Śiva’s accessibility; frames darśana and sānnidhya as grace rather than mechanical ritual attainment.
FAQs
It teaches that Shiva is not “won” by external acts alone—karma, tapas, japa, or yogic techniques—unless they are rooted in śraddhā (faithful devotion). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, grace and inner receptivity (bhakti/śraddhā) make the Lord experientially present.
The verse supports Saguna upāsanā: when faith is present, Shiva becomes dṛśya (seen) and pūjya (worshipped). Linga worship is effective not merely as ritual performance but as devotion-filled approach that invites Shiva’s self-revelation.
It prioritizes cultivating śraddhā while performing practices like japa and worship. A practical takeaway is to do Shiva-pūjā/Linga-archana or Panchakshara japa with sincere devotion rather than treating them as mechanical techniques.