Shloka 44
Niṣādasya Bhillasya Itihāsaḥ — Śivarātri-vrata-prabhāvaḥ
The Hunter’s Account and the Efficacy of the Śivarātri Observance
मृग्युवाच । शृणु व्याध प्रवक्ष्यामि नागच्छेयं पुनर्यदि । वाचा विचलितो यस्तु सुकृतं तेन हारितम्
mṛgyuvāca | śṛṇu vyādha pravakṣyāmi nāgaccheyaṃ punaryadi | vācā vicalito yastu sukṛtaṃ tena hāritam
The doe said: “Listen, O hunter—I shall speak. If I do not return again, know this: whoever wavers through speech and breaks his pledged word, by him his stored-up merit is squandered away.”
The doe (Mṛgī)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; the verse is a dharma-upadeśa embedded in story: satya (truthfulness/keeping one’s word) preserves sukṛta and becomes a vehicle for Śiva’s anugraha.
Significance: Teaches that tīrtha/vrata merit is safeguarded by satya; breaking one’s word dissipates accumulated puṇya.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that satya (truthfulness) and fidelity to one’s word are not merely social virtues but spiritual disciplines; when speech becomes unstable—through deceit or broken promises—one’s sukṛta (merit) is diminished, obstructing steady progress toward Shiva’s grace and liberation.
Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is upheld by inner purity and dharma; devotion to Saguna Shiva is strengthened when the devotee’s speech is truthful and restrained. Breaking one’s word contradicts the integrity expected in vrata, pūjā, and pilgrimage, weakening the spiritual fruit of such worship.
A practical takeaway is a satya-vrata: maintain truthful, measured speech alongside Shiva practices such as japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and vrata observances, ensuring that vows and intentions are not violated by careless words.