Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 34
विदलोत्पलदैत्ययोरुत्पत्तिः देवपराजयः ब्रह्मोपदेशः नारदप्रेषणम्
Vidalotpala Daityas, Defeat of the Devas, Brahmā’s Counsel, and Nārada’s Mission
इदमाख्यानमतुलं शृणुयाद्यो मुदान्वितः । श्रावयेद्वा पठेद्यश्च तस्य दुःखभयं कुतः
idamākhyānamatulaṃ śṛṇuyādyo mudānvitaḥ | śrāvayedvā paṭhedyaśca tasya duḥkhabhayaṃ kutaḥ
مَن استمعَ بفرحٍ إلى هذه الحكاية المقدّسة التي لا نظير لها—أو جعلها تُسمَع، أو تلاها—فمن أين يبقى له خوفٌ من الحزن والألم؟
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Phalaśruti for the narrated māhātmya: hearing/teaching/reciting the account removes fear and sorrow—i.e., bondage loosens through śravaṇa-kīrtana centered on Śiva.
Significance: Establishes śravaṇa–pāṭha as a portable pilgrimage: even without travel, engagement with the kathā yields protection from duḥkha-bhaya.
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that śravaṇa (devotional listening), pāṭha (recitation), and śrāvaṇa (sharing the narration) of Shiva’s sacred history purify the mind and loosen the bonds of fear and grief, leading the devotee toward Shiva’s grace and inner steadiness.
The verse highlights bhakti through katha-śravaṇa and pāṭha as a direct form of Saguna Shiva worship—honoring Shiva’s līlās and glories—complementing external worship of the Linga by cultivating remembrance, devotion, and surrender.
Regular parāyaṇa (daily/weekly recitation) and śravaṇa (listening in a satsang setting), ideally beginning with a short invocation such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), offered as a devotional discipline to reduce anxiety and sorrow.