Shloka 17
मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
स बिभ्रद्राक्षसं रूपं कालान्तकयमोपमम् । चखाद विविधाञ्जंतून्मानुषादीन्वनेचरः
sa bibhradrākṣasaṃ rūpaṃ kālāntakayamopamam | cakhāda vividhāñjaṃtūnmānuṣādīnvanecaraḥ
In rākṣasa-gleicher Gestalt, Yama—dem Vernichter am Ende der Zeit—ähnlich, verschlang dieser Waldbewohner mannigfache Wesen, Menschen und andere dazu.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Kālāntaka
Cosmic Event: kāla/antaka imagery (end-time death motif)
FAQs
The verse highlights the terrifying momentum of adharma: when consciousness turns away from Shiva (Pati) and becomes bound by pasha (bondage) and tamas, it manifests as cruelty and death-dealing behavior. It functions as a warning that unchecked ignorance and violence lead to ruin, reinforcing the Shaiva Siddhanta emphasis on purification and right action.
By depicting death-like भय (fear) through a Yama-comparable form, the narrative implicitly contrasts it with refuge in Saguna Shiva—worship of the Linga and remembrance of Shiva as the protector who grants abhayam (fearlessness). In Kotirudra contexts, such fear is resolved through pilgrimage, devotion, and surrender to Shiva’s grace.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate abhayam through Shiva-smaraṇa and japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” along with sattvic discipline; these are traditional remedies in Shaiva practice for tamas and fear, even when specific items like bhasma or rudraksha are not named in this verse.