Shloka 34
मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
राजोवाच । मुने मां बाधते ह्येषा ब्रह्महत्या दुरत्यया । अलक्षिता परैस्तात तर्जयंती पदेपदे
rājovāca | mune māṃ bādhate hyeṣā brahmahatyā duratyayā | alakṣitā paraistāta tarjayaṃtī padepade
The King said: “O sage, this grievous sin of brahmin-slaying afflicts me and is hard to overcome. Though unseen by others, revered sir, it threatens and torments me at every step.”
The King (Rāja)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
FAQs
It shows how grave karma becomes an inner, inescapable suffering, and points toward the Shaiva Siddhanta theme that only right expiation joined with devotion to Pati (Shiva) can loosen the bonds of pasha.
In the Kotirudra context, the afflicted seeker approaches Shiva’s accessible Saguna form—especially through Jyotirlinga worship—as a compassionate refuge where confession, surrender, and prescribed worship lead toward purification.
The verse implies the need for prayaschitta supported by Shiva-bhakti—regular japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and disciplined purity practices (such as bhasma/Tripundra and Rudraksha, as taught elsewhere in the Purana) under a guru’s guidance.