Shiva Purana · Chapter 1.4

munaya ūcuḥ /
mananaṃ kīdṛśaṃ brahmañchravaṇaṃ cāpi kīdṛśam /
kīrtanaṃ vā kathaṃ tasya kīrtayaitadyathāyatham

brahmovāca /
pūjājapeśaguṇarūpavilāsanāmnāṃ yuktipriyeṇa manasā pariśodhanaṃ yat /
tatsaṃtataṃ mananamīśvaradṛṣṭilabhyaṃ sarveṣu sādhanavareṣvapi mukhyamukhyam

gītātmanā śrutipadena ca bhāṣayā vā śaṃbhupratāpaguṇarūpavilāsanāmnām /
vācā sphuṭaṃ tu rasavatstavanaṃ yadasya tatkīrtanaṃ bhavati sādhanamatra madhyam

yenāpi kena karaṇena ca śabdapuṃjaṃ yatra kvacicchivaparaṃ śravaṇeṃdri yeṇa /
strīkelivaddṛḍhataraṃ praṇidhīyate yattadvai budhāḥ śravaṇamatra jagatprasiddham

satsaṃgamena bhavati śravaṇaṃ purastātsaṃkīrtanaṃ paśupateratha taddṛḍhaṃ syāt /
sarvottamaṃ bhavati tanmananaṃ tadaṃte sarvaṃ hi saṃbhavati śaṃkaradṛṣṭipāte

sūta uvāca /
asminsādhanamāhatmye purā vṛttaṃ munīśvarāḥ /
yuṣmadarthaṃ pravakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvamavadhānataḥ

purā mama gururvyāsaḥ parāśaramuneḥ sutaḥ /
tapaścacāra saṃbhrāṃtaḥ sarasvatyāstaṭe śubhe

gacchanyadṛchayā tatra vimānenārkarociṣā /
sanatkumāro bhagavāndadarśa mama deśikam

dhyānārūḍhaḥ prabuddho'sau dadarśa tamajātmajam /
praṇipatyāha saṃbhrāṃtaḥ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ muniḥ

dattvārghyamasmai pradadau devayogyaṃ ca viṣṭiram १०b/
prasannaḥ prāha taṃ prahvaṃ prabhurgaṃbhīrayā girā

sanatkumāra uvāca /
satyaṃ vastu mune dadhyāḥ sākṣātkaraṇagocaraḥ /
sa śivothāsahāyotra tapaścarasi kiṃ kṛte

evamuktaḥ kumāreṇa provāca svāśayaṃ muniḥ /
dharmārthakāmamokṣāśca vedamārge kṛtādarāḥ

bahudhā sthāpitā loke mayā tvatkṛpayā tathā /
evaṃ bhutasya mepyevaṃ gurubhūtasya sarvataḥ

muktisādhanakaṃ jñānaṃ nodeti paramādbhutam /
tapaścarāmi muktyarthaṃ na jāne tatra kāraṇam

itthaṃ kumāro bhagavānvyāsena muninārthitaḥ /
samarthaḥ prāha vipreṃdrā niścayaṃ muktikāraṇam

śravaṇaṃ kīrtanaṃ śaṃbhormananaṃ ca mahattaram /
trayaṃ sādhanamuktaṃ ca vidyate vedasaṃmatam

purāhamatha saṃbhrāṃto hyanyasādhanasaṃbhramaḥ /
acale maṃdare śaile tapaścaraṇamācaram

śivājñayā tataḥ prāpto bhagavānnaṃdikeśvaraḥ /
sa me dayālurbhagavānsarvasākṣī gaṇeśvaraḥ

uvāca mahyaṃ sasnehaṃ muktisādhanamuttamam /
śravaṇaṃ kīrtanaṃ śaṃbhormananaṃ vedasaṃmatam

trikaṃ ca sādhanaṃ muktau śivena mama bhāṣitam /
śravaṇādiṃ trikaṃ brahmankuruṣveti muhurmuhuḥ

evamuktvā tato vyāsaṃ sānugo vidhinaṃdanaḥ /
jagāma svavimānena padaṃ paramaśobhanam

evamuktaṃ samāsena pūrvavṛttāṃtamuttamam /
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ /
śravaṇāditrayaṃ sūta muktyopāyastvayeritaḥ

śravaṇāditrike'śaktaḥ kiṃ kṛtvā mucyate janaḥ /
ayatnenaiva muktiḥ syātkarmaṇā kena hetunā

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe prathamāyāṃ vidyeśvarasaṃhitāyaṃ sādhyasādhanakhaṇḍe caturtho'dhyāyaḥ