Devotion

मुक्तिनिरुपणं नामैकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Liberation description Chapter 41

सूत उवाच |
Suta Goswami said (to the sages)

विज्ञानं न भवत्येव द्विजा भक्तिविरोधिनः |
शम्भुभक्तिकरस्यैव भवेज्ज्ञानोदयो द्रुतम् || 25 ||
तस्माद्भक्तिर्महेशस्य साधनीया मुनीश्वराः |
तयैव निखिलं सिद्धं भविष्यति न संशयः || 26 ||
Brahmins (sages), the specific knowledge (of the supreme element) does not come to those who are against devotion. Knowledge dawns quickly only on those who have devotion for Lord Shiva.
Therefore, great sages, devotion of the great God should be aimed for. Only with that does everything succeed (is achieved), no doubt.

Liberation

मुक्तिनिरुपणं नामैकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Liberation description Chapter 41

सूत उवाच |
Suta Goswami said (to the sages)

मुक्तिश्चतुर्विधा प्रोक्ता श्रूयतां कथयामि वः |
संसारक्लेशसंहर्त्री परमानन्ददायिनी || 2 ||
सारुप्या चैव सालोक्या सान्निध्या च तथा परा |
सायुज्या च चतुर्थी सा व्रतेनानेन यः भवेत् || 3 ||
Killer of the sufferings of this world and giver of highest joy, liberation is said to be of four kinds. Listen, I (will) tell you.
Saarupya, Saalokya, Saannidhya and the higher Saayujya, the fourth, which happens with this (Shivratri) vow.

And there is also a fifth one, Kaivalya, which is mentioned later.

मुक्तेर्दाता मुनिश्रेष्ठाः केवलं शिव उच्यते |
ब्रह्माद्या न हि ते ज्ञेयाः केवलं च त्रिवर्गदाः || 4 ||
Best of the sages, only Lord Shiva is said to be the giver of liberation. Brahma, etc. are not to be known as such; (they are) givers of the three (other) values – Dharma, Artha, Kama.

ब्रह्माद्यास्त्रिगुणाधीशाः शिवस्त्रिगुणतः परः |
निर्विकारी परब्रह्म तुर्यः प्रकृतितः परः || 5 ||
Lord Brahma, etc. are the lords of the three gunas (characteristics of nature: sattva, rajas, tamas); Lord Shiva is above the three gunas, free from defects, the supreme element, in the fourth state, transcending nature.

कैवल्याख्या पञ्चमी च दुर्लभा सर्वथा नृणाम् | 7
And the fifth (liberation) by the name of Kaivalya is by all means difficult to get for humans.

Importance of Shivaratri vow

व्याधेश्वरमाहात्म्ये शिवरात्रिव्रतमहिमनिरुपणं नामाष्टत्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Importance of Shivaratri vow in Vyadheshwara importance description Chapter 38

शिव उवाच |
Lord Shiva said (to Lord Vishnu)

कुले मम महादेव भजनं तेऽस्तु सर्वदा |
माभूत्तस्य कुले जन्म यत्र त्वं न हि देवता || 81 ||
(One should pray like this.) Great God, in my family, let there always be singing of your praise. Let (me) not be born in a family where you are not the deity.

Shaivites

देवर्षिनृपशैवत्ववर्णनं नाम सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Lord Shiva’s devotion of great sages and kings – Chapter 37

ब्रह्मोवाच |
Brahma said (to sage Narada)

कृष्णेन च कृतं नित्यं बदरीपर्वतोत्तमे |
पूजनं तु शिवस्यैव सप्तमासावधि स्वयम् || 48 ||
And worship of Lord Shiva was done daily by Lord Krishna himself for a period of seven months on the best mountain Badari.

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Shaivites

देवर्षिनृपशैवत्ववर्णनं नाम सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Lord Shiva’s devotion of great sages and kings – Chapter 37

रामः ससहजो नित्यं पार्थिवं समपूजयत् |
भस्मरुद्राक्षधारी च विरजो योगमास्थितः || 38 ||
Lord Rama, along with his brothers, worshipped a clay idol (of Lord Shiva) daily, who used to apply ash (Vibhuti), wear a rudraksha seed, and was without attachments/desires, established in Yoga (means of achieving union with God).

These are typical characteristics of Shaivites.

Shiva’s devotion of great sages and kings

देवर्षिनृपशैवत्ववर्णनं नाम सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Lord Shiva’s devotion of great sages and kings – Chapter 37

पुत्रार्थे पार्थिवीं मूर्तिं शैवीं दशरथो हि सः |
समानर्च विशेषेण वसिष्ठस्याज्ञया मुनेः || 31 ||
पुत्रेष्टिं च चकारासौ पार्थिवो भवभक्तिमान् |
ऋष्यशृङ्गमुनेराज्ञां संप्राप्य नृपसत्तमः || 32 ||
कौशल्या तत्प्रिया मूर्तिं पार्थिवीं शाङ्करीं मुदा |
ऋष्यशृङ्गसमादिष्टा समानर्च सुताप्तये || 33 ||
सुमित्रा च शिवं प्रीत्या कैकेयी नृपवल्लभा |
पूजयामास सत्पुत्रप्राप्तये मुनिसत्तम || 34 ||
Sage (Narada), for the sake of obtaining a son/sons, that Dasharatha worshipped a clay idol of Lord Shiva, particularly because of the instruction of Sage Vasishtha.
Devotee of the clay idol of Lord Shiva, the best of the kings (Dasharatha) carried out a son-desire sacrifice instructed by sage Shringa in order to obtain (a son/sons).
His favourite Kaushalya, advised by sage Shringa, gladly worshipped the clay idol of Lord Shiva, for the sake of obtaining a son.
Best of the sages (Narada), Sumitra and Kaikeyi, dear to the king, worshipped Lord Shiva with affection, for the sake of obtaining a good son.

Then Lord Vishnu appears as their son and the sons continue the tradition of worshipping clay idols of Lord Shiva.