Shloka 30
मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
नानोपायैर्यदा राज्ञस्तीर्थस्नानादिभिर्द्विजाः । न निवृत्ता ब्रह्महत्या मिथिलां स ययौ तदा
nānopāyairyadā rājñastīrthasnānādibhirdvijāḥ | na nivṛttā brahmahatyā mithilāṃ sa yayau tadā
O ihr Dvijas, als trotz vieler Mittel — wie dem Bad an heiligen Tīrthas und anderen Sühneriten — die Sünde der Brahmahatyā beim König nicht nachließ, da machte er sich auf den Weg nach Mithilā.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Significance: Mithilā is a dharma-śāstra and ṛṣi-associated sacred landscape; travel there signals seeking authoritative expiation/teaching when generic tīrtha-baths fail.
FAQs
It teaches that grave karmic taints like brahmahatyā are not always neutralized by external expiations alone; the narrative points toward a higher, Shiva-centered purification—seeking right guidance, sincere repentance, and ultimately the grace of Pati (Lord Shiva) for liberation from pāśa (bondage).
In the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā, pilgrimage and tīrtha practices are often framed as supports that culminate in approaching Shiva’s sacred presence (frequently via Jyotirlinga worship). The verse signals a transition from general rites to seeking a more potent, grace-bearing encounter with Saguna Shiva’s sanctifying power.
The verse mentions tīrtha-snān (holy bathing) as a common prāyaścitta, but implies the need for a deeper remedy—typically fulfilled in Shaiva practice through Shiva-bhakti, japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and disciplined observances (such as bhasma/tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa) undertaken with repentance and faith.