Shloka 48
मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
सूत उवाच । इत्यादिष्टः स मुनिना गौतमेन महात्मना । महाहृष्टमना राजा गोकर्णं प्रत्यपद्यत
sūta uvāca | ityādiṣṭaḥ sa muninā gautamena mahātmanā | mahāhṛṣṭamanā rājā gokarṇaṃ pratyapadyata
Sūta said: Thus instructed by the great-souled sage Gautama, the king—his mind filled with great joy—set out and proceeded to Gokarṇa.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Narrative transition: the king, instructed by Gautama, joyfully proceeds to Gokarṇa—setting up the ensuing pilgrimage and worship episodes.
Significance: Models the proper response of the aspirant: śraddhā + guru-vākya + utsāha (joyful resolve) → movement toward kṣetra where pāśa is loosened and anugraha becomes available.
FAQs
It highlights śraddhā and obedience to a realized guru: when the sage directs the seeker, the king responds with joyful resolve and moves toward a Śiva-kṣetra, showing that grace and right guidance turn devotion into transformative action.
Gokarṇa is celebrated as a Śiva sacred center associated with Liṅga worship; the king’s journey indicates turning toward Saguna Śiva in a consecrated place where darśana, pūjā, and tīrtha-sevā become direct supports for purification and devotion.
Undertake tīrtha-yātrā with a disciplined mind—on reaching the kṣetra, perform Liṅga-pūjā with pañcākṣarī-japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), and maintain purity through simple vrata and reverence to the guru’s instruction.