Shloka 51
मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
इति वश्च समाख्यातं माहात्म्यं परमाद्भुतम् । महाबलस्य गिरिशलिंगस्य निखिलाघहृत्
iti vaśca samākhyātaṃ māhātmyaṃ paramādbhutam | mahābalasya giriśaliṃgasya nikhilāghahṛt
Thus have I narrated to you the supremely wondrous glory of Mahābala’s Girīśa-Liṅga, which utterly removes all sins.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Colophon-like closure: Sūta declares he has narrated the ‘paramādbhuta’ māhātmya of Mahābala’s Girīśa-liṅga, explicitly characterized as nikhilāgha-hṛt (remover of all sin).
Significance: Defines the liṅga as a locus of Śiva’s saving power: pāśa (bondage) is loosened by contact (darśana/pūjā) and by hearing its māhātmya.
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse concludes a māhātmya by affirming that sincere hearing and remembrance of Shiva’s Liṅga-glory purifies the devotee and destroys accumulated pāpa, orienting the soul toward Shiva’s grace and liberation.
It presents the Girīśa-Liṅga as Saguna Shiva’s accessible form for devotion; venerating the Liṅga (and even hearing its greatness) is upheld as a direct means of receiving Shiva’s anugraha (grace) that removes sin.
Śravaṇa (devout listening/recitation) of the Liṅga-māhātmya is implied; it may be paired with Liṅga-pūjā using water/abhisheka and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” for purification.