Shloka 46
Niṣādasya Bhillasya Itihāsaḥ — Śivarātri-vrata-prabhāvaḥ
The Hunter’s Account and the Efficacy of the Śivarātri Observance
विष्णुभक्तिसमायुक्तः शिवनिन्दां करोति यः । पित्रोः क्षयाहमासाद्य शून्यं चैवाक्रमेदिह
viṣṇubhaktisamāyuktaḥ śivanindāṃ karoti yaḥ | pitroḥ kṣayāhamāsādya śūnyaṃ caivākramediha
Whoever, even while devoted to Viṣṇu, engages in reviling Śiva—when the decline of his ancestral line befalls him, he comes to ruin here itself and falls into emptiness, a spiritual barrenness.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga origin; it is a sectarian-ethic injunction: devotion to Viṣṇu is not condemned, but Śiva-nindā is treated as a grave fault producing karmic and social-spiritual collapse (pitṛ-kṣaya, śūnyatā).
Significance: Promotes Hari-Hara harmony and warns that blasphemy (nindā) is spiritually corrosive; encourages respectful plural devotion as conducive to grace.
Type: stotra
FAQs
It warns that devotion is not validated by sectarian pride: reviling Śiva is a grave aparādha that destroys spiritual merit and results in inner emptiness and worldly ruin, including decline of one’s lineage and support system.
Kotirudra Saṃhitā emphasizes reverence for Saguna Śiva as the accessible Lord of grace; insulting Śiva (the very object of Linga-worship and Jyotirliṅga pilgrimage) obstructs blessings, dharma, and the fruit of pilgrimage and worship.
Avoid nindā (blasphemy) and cultivate śiva-bhakti through daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a repentant, non-sectarian attitude; if one has erred, perform prāyaścitta through sincere apology, mantra-japa, and humble worship.