Shloka 31
Śiva-nāma-sahasraka-kathana
The Recital/Teaching of the Thousand Names of Śiva
अनंतदृष्टिरानंदो दंडो दमयिता दमः । अभिचार्य्यो महामायो विश्वकर्म विशारदः
anaṃtadṛṣṭirānaṃdo daṃḍo damayitā damaḥ | abhicāryyo mahāmāyo viśvakarma viśāradaḥ
He whose vision is limitless; He who is Bliss itself; the Punisher and the Discipliner; self-control itself; the Master of occult forces; the Great Enchanter (Mahāmāyā’s Lord); Viśvakarman—the cosmic artisan—and the supremely skillful One.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Durgā
Role: liberating
Offering: dhupa
FAQs
The verse lists Shiva’s attributes to guide contemplative devotion: He is omniscient (anantadṛṣṭi), the very nature of bliss (ānanda), the upholder of dharma through discipline (daṇḍa, damayitā), and the inner power of restraint (dama). In Shaiva Siddhanta, such remembrance turns the mind from bondage (pāśa) toward the Lord (Pati), supporting liberation.
In Linga worship, devotees approach Saguna Shiva through sacred names and qualities. These epithets are meditative ‘handles’ for concentration—seeing the Linga as the seat of Shiva’s omniscience, bliss, and governing power over māyā—leading the worshipper from form-based devotion toward deeper realization.
A practical takeaway is nāma-smaraṇa (repetition of Shiva’s names) alongside japa of the Panchākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—while cultivating dama (self-restraint). This can be paired with Mahāśivarātri-style observances such as purity, steadiness in vows, and focused meditation before the Linga.