Shloka 12
Niṣādasya Bhillasya Itihāsaḥ — Śivarātri-vrata-prabhāvaḥ
The Hunter’s Account and the Efficacy of the Śivarātri Observance
मदीयं वै कलत्रं च तस्याः किंचिद्भविष्यति । किंचिद्गृहीत्वा हि मया गंतव्यं नान्यथा भवेत्
madīyaṃ vai kalatraṃ ca tasyāḥ kiṃcidbhaviṣyati | kiṃcidgṛhītvā hi mayā gaṃtavyaṃ nānyathā bhavet
“She is indeed my wife, and some share of her wealth belongs to me. Therefore I must depart only after taking something; it cannot be otherwise.”
A worldly husband/claimant figure within the Jyotirlinga-related narrative (as recounted by Suta Goswami)
Tattva Level: pasha
Sthala Purana: The claimant’s rationalization—taking from the wife—marks deepening bondage (pāśa) through possessiveness and adharma, which the later sacred encounter will counterbalance through Śiva’s corrective grace.
Significance: Serves as a cautionary prelude: tīrtha/Śiva-darśana is not merely spatial travel but a moral reversal from appropriation to offering.
FAQs
The verse depicts possessiveness and entitlement—bondage (pāśa) born of “mine-ness.” In Shaiva thought, such grasping strengthens saṃsāric attachment, which pilgrimage and Shiva-bhakti are meant to purify into detachment and right conduct.
Jyotirlinga narratives often contrast human greed with the sanctifying power of Saguna Shiva worship. Approaching the Linga with surrender (not acquisition) is presented as the attitude that opens the heart to Shiva’s grace and inner purification.
As a corrective to possessiveness, practice daily Panchakshara japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and a brief offering at a Shiva-linga, mentally renouncing “mine-ness” and dedicating actions to Shiva.