Shloka 47
Niṣādasya Bhillasya Itihāsaḥ — Śivarātri-vrata-prabhāvaḥ
The Hunter’s Account and the Efficacy of the Śivarātri Observance
कृत्वा च पारतापं हि करोति वचनं पुनः । तेन पापेन लिंपामि नागच्छेयं पुनर्यदि
kṛtvā ca pāratāpaṃ hi karoti vacanaṃ punaḥ | tena pāpena liṃpāmi nāgaccheyaṃ punaryadi
“Having indeed committed this grievous wrongdoing, he speaks again with assurances. By that very sin I am defiled—if I were to go there again.”
Suta Goswami (narrating the Jyotirlinga-related account in Kotirudra Samhita to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: This line functions as a moral hinge in the Jyotirliṅga-style narrative: the speaker refuses to re-enter a place/situation that would re-contaminate him through association with pāpa and broken assurances, underscoring the Purāṇic theme that proximity and consent can renew bondage.
Significance: Emphasizes the Siddhānta ethic of śuddhi/āśauca: one should avoid returning to contexts that re-activate pāśa (bondage) through deceit, violence, or adharma; pilgrimage is framed as movement from mala toward śiva-anugraha.
FAQs
It highlights that repeated wrongdoing followed by empty assurances deepens inner impurity; Shaiva dharma stresses remorse, restraint, and rectification as prerequisites for spiritual progress and Shiva’s grace.
Linga worship is not only external ritual but inner purity (śuddhi). The verse underscores that approaching Shiva’s sacred presence—especially in Jyotirlinga contexts—requires truthful conduct and avoidance of repeated faults.
A practical takeaway is prāyaścitta (atonement) with vow-renewal: sincere confession, disciplined restraint, and steadiness in japa—such as repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—before undertaking pilgrimage or Linga worship again.