Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 32
दक्षयज्ञोत्तरवृत्तान्तः
Post–Dakṣa-Yajña Developments and the Appeal to Viṣṇu
तद्बाह्यतस्तस्य दिव्ये सरितावतिपावने । नंदा चालकनंदा च दर्शनात्पापहारिके
tadbāhyatastasya divye saritāvatipāvane | naṃdā cālakanaṃdā ca darśanātpāpahārike
Außerhalb jenes heiligen Ortes fließen zwei göttliche, höchst reinigende Ströme—Nandā und Cālakanandā—deren bloßer Anblick die Sünden nimmt.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Two rivers—Nandā and Cālakanandā—are described as ati-pāvanā and pāpa-hārikā even by mere darśana. In Śaiva Siddhānta terms, such tīrthas function as auxiliary purifiers that weaken mala/karma accretions (pāśa) and support approach to Pati.
Significance: Darśana of the rivers is said to remove sins; snāna would be implied as even more efficacious, preparing the devotee for kṣetra-darśana and Śiva-pūjā.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It teaches that proximity to Shiva-associated tīrthas sanctifies the seeker: even darśana (sacred seeing) of such divine rivers purifies pāpa and supports the soul’s movement toward śuddhi and liberation under Pati (Shiva).
In the Shiva Purana, tīrthas connected to Saguna Shiva’s sacred geography prepare the devotee for deeper Linga-upāsanā—purifying mind and conduct so worship becomes steady, reverent, and fruitful.
Perform tīrtha-darśana with a prayer to Shiva, then take ācamana or a respectful bath if possible while remembering the Panchākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") for inner purification.