Shloka 21
Arjuna’s Mantra-Empowerment and the Pāṇḍavas’ Separation (Śiva-rūpa through Mantra)
तस्माद्वर्णयितुन्नैव शक्यते हि मया पुनः । शरीरं दुःखराशिं च मत्वा त्याज्यन्त्वयाधुना
tasmādvarṇayitunnaiva śakyate hi mayā punaḥ | śarīraṃ duḥkharāśiṃ ca matvā tyājyantvayādhunā
Darum vermag ich es wahrlich nicht weiter zu schildern. Erkenne den Leib als bloßen Haufen von Leid; entsage ihm jetzt in Loslösung und nimm Zuflucht zu Śiva, dem Herrn, der Mokṣa, die Befreiung, gewährt.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: General Purāṇic teaching motif: recognition of the body as duḥkha-rāśi leads to vairāgya and Śiva-śaraṇāgati; not tied here to a specific jyotirliṅga legend.
Significance: Didactic: cultivating detachment and taking refuge in Śiva is presented as the true pilgrimage (antar-yātrā) culminating in liberation.
Type: panchakshara
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches vairāgya: seeing the body as impermanent and sorrow-prone, one should turn inward and seek Pati (Śiva) as the liberating Lord rather than clinging to the pashu-condition bound to pain.
By weakening attachment to the body, the devotee becomes fit for Saguna worship—Linga-upāsanā and devotion—through which Śiva’s grace purifies bonds (pāśa) and leads toward realization beyond form.
A practical takeaway is daily japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with contemplation on impermanence, supported by Shaiva disciplines like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as reminders of renunciation and Śiva-refuge.