Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 37
कैलासगमनं कुबेरसख्यं च — Śiva’s Journey to Kailāsa and His Friendship with Kubera
न्यस्तां रत्नमयीं गेहे करस्य पितुरूर्मिकाम् । चोरयित्वैकदादाय दुरोदरकरेऽर्पयत्
nyastāṃ ratnamayīṃ gehe karasya piturūrmikām | corayitvaikadādāya durodarakare'rpayat
Einst stahl er aus dem Haus den beiseitegelegten, mit Edelsteinen besetzten Fingerring seines Vaters, nahm ihn an sich und gab ihn in die Hand eines Spielers—eine Tat, geboren aus verderblichem Laster, das ins Verderben führt.
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Significance: Ethical warning: even sacred family trust and wealth are consumed by pāśa (dyūta). The implied path is repentance, restitution, and Śiva-śaraṇāgati.
FAQs
It illustrates how pāśa (bondage) strengthens through adharma—here, theft and gambling—driving the soul further into karmic entanglement and away from Shiva-oriented purity and self-restraint.
Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is grounded in śauca (purity), satya, and restraint; this act shows the opposite tendency. The narrative contrast implies that turning to Saguna Shiva with repentance and disciplined conduct is the remedy for such downward habits.
A practical takeaway is to adopt daily Panchākṣarī japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a vow of self-control (niyama), using rudrākṣa for steadiness of mind and to withdraw from addictive impulses like gambling.