Shloka 38
संवत्सरकरो मंत्रः प्रत्ययः सर्वतापनः । अजः सर्वेश्वरस्सिद्धो महातेजा महाबलः
saṃvatsarakaro maṃtraḥ pratyayaḥ sarvatāpanaḥ | ajaḥ sarveśvarassiddho mahātejā mahābalaḥ
He is the mantra that brings the cycle of the year to completion; the sure ground of trust and the One who burns away all afflictions. Unborn, the Lord of all, ever-accomplished—He is of immense splendor and great strength.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Sthala Purana: No direct jyotirliṅga reference; the verse highlights Śiva as ‘mantra’ and ‘sarvatāpana’—the one whose revelation and grace burn afflictions, a generalized salvific theme.
Significance: Frames mantra as Śiva Himself; pilgrimage benefit is internal purification—tāpa (kleśa) is ‘burned’ by reliance (pratyaya) on Pati.
Mantra: संवत्सरकरो मंत्रः प्रत्ययः सर्वतापनः । अजः सर्वेश्वरस्सिद्धो महातेजा महाबलः
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
Cosmic Event: Cyclic time (saṃvatsara) is presented as effected/regulated by the Lord, implying sovereignty over cosmic order.
FAQs
It praises Shiva as the unfailing refuge (pratyaya) and the inner mantra-power that burns karmic and mental afflictions, affirming Him as the unborn, ever-perfect Supreme (Pati) who grants liberation.
Though Shiva is aja (unborn) and beyond limitation, devotees approach Him through Saguna worship—especially the Linga—where mantra-japa and faith (pratyaya) become the practical means to experience His purifying, suffering-destroying grace.
Practice steady mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’) with firm trust, contemplating Shiva as sarvatāpana (burner of all suffering); this aligns well with Linga-puja, Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) devotion, and Rudraksha-supported meditation.