Devotion to Lord Shiva

शिवभक्तिवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः
Devotion to Lord Shiva – description Chapter 10



ईश्वर उवाच |
God said (to the supreme Goddess Parvati)



द्विधा मत्पूजनं ज्ञेयं बाह्यमाभ्यंतरं तथा |
वाङ्मनःकायभेदाच्च त्रिधा मद्भजनं विदुः || 47 ||
My worship should be known to be of two kinds, external and internal, (and is) known to be (done in) three ways – by speech, by mind and by the body.

Yoga

शिवभक्तिवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः
Devotion to Lord Shiva – description Chapter 10



ईश्वर उवाच |
God said (to the supreme Goddess Parvati)



वैराग्याज्जायते ज्ञानं ज्ञानाद्योगः प्रवर्तते || 36 ||
योगज्ञः पतितो वापि मुच्यते नात्र संशयः | 37
From non-attachment emerges knowledge, from knowledge, Yoga prevails. One who knows Yoga, even if fallen, get released (liberated from the cycle of births and deaths), there is no doubt about this.

Four legs of Dharma

शिवभक्तिवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः
Devotion to Lord Shiva – description Chapter 10



ईश्वर उवाच |
God said (to the supreme Goddess Parvati)



ज्ञानं क्रिया च चर्या च योगश्चेति सुरेश्वरि |
चतुष्पादः समाख्यातो मम धर्मस्सनातनः || 30 ||
पशुपाशपतिज्ञानं ज्ञानमित्यभिधीयते |
षडध्वशुद्धिर्विधिना गुर्वधीना क्रियोच्यते || 31 ||
वर्णाश्रमप्रयुक्तस्य मयैव विहितस्य च |
ममार्चनादिधर्मस्य चर्या चर्येति कथ्यते || 32 ||
मदुक्तेनैव मार्गेण मय्यवस्थितचेतसः |
वृत्त्यंतरनिरोधो यो योग इत्यभिधीयते || 33 ||
Goddess of the Devas, knowledge, Kriya/procedures and Charya/conduct/behaviour and Yoga – these are called the four legs of my eternal Dharma.
Knowledge of pashu (being), cord (that which ties a living being), lordship is called knowledge. Shadadhva purification (initiation) procedure depending on a Guru is called Kriya (procedure).

Behaviour according to Varnashrama Dharma determined by me only and activities related to my worship, etc. is called Charya (conduct).

On the path spoken by me, with the mind fixed in me, suppression/prevention of chitta/thinking, that is called Yoga.

Bhagavat Purana lists truth, compassion, penance and charity as the four legs of Dharma in one shloka, and austerity, purity, mercy and truth in another shloka.

Faith

शिवभक्तिवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः
Devotion to Lord Shiva – description Chapter 10



ईश्वर उवाच |
God said (to the supreme Goddess Parvati)



न कर्मणा न तपसा न जपैर्नासनादिभिः |
न ज्ञानेन न चान्येन वश्योऽहं श्रद्धया विना || 15 ||
श्रद्धा मय्यस्ति चेत्पुंसां येन केनापि हेतुना |
वश्यः स्पृश्यश्च दृश्यश्च पूज्यस्संभाष्य एव च || 16 ||
साध्या तस्मान्मयि श्रद्धा मां वशीकर्तुमिच्छता |
श्रद्धा हेतुस्स्वधर्मस्य रक्षणं वर्णिनामिह || 17 ||
स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मेण वर्तते यस्तु मानवः |
तस्यैव भवति श्रद्धा मयि नान्यस्य कस्यचित् || 18 ||
I am not brought under control without faith, not by deeds, not by penance, not by japa (chanting), not by postures, etc., not by knowledge and not by other (means).
If one has faith in me for just any purpose, for controlling, for touching, for seeing, and for worshipping and for hearing (me), (it can control me).
Those who want to control me should therefore try to achieve my faith. To achieve that faith, (one should) protect/follow one's Varnashrama Dharma (duties of different professions at different ages) on the earth.
A human who follows his Varnashrama Dharma, only he gets my faith, and nobody else.