Shloka 60
Niṣādasya Bhillasya Itihāsaḥ — Śivarātri-vrata-prabhāvaḥ
The Hunter’s Account and the Efficacy of the Śivarātri Observance
व्याध उवाच । ये ये समागताश्चात्र तेते सर्वे त्वया यथा । कथयित्वा गता ह्यत्र नायान्त्यद्यापि वंचकाः
vyādha uvāca | ye ye samāgatāścātra tete sarve tvayā yathā | kathayitvā gatā hyatra nāyāntyadyāpi vaṃcakāḥ
The hunter said: “All those who came here—each and every one—have been spoken to by you, as is fitting, and then they went away. Yet even now those deceivers do not return here.”
Vyadha (the hunter)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Rudra
Significance: Warns against vañcanā (deception) as a form of pāśa: it perpetuates concealment (tirodhāna) by keeping beings in mistrust and karmic entanglement; encourages satya and straightforwardness as Śiva-priya virtues.
FAQs
It highlights viveka (discernment): spiritual life and pilgrimage require truthfulness and sincerity, while deceit leads to instability and loss of trust—an obstacle to bhakti and right conduct.
Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana emphasizes inner integrity (śuddha-bhāva). The verse contrasts genuine seekers—who receive instruction and act rightly—with “deceivers,” implying that Shiva’s grace is best approached through honest devotion rather than manipulation.
A practical takeaway is satya and niyama in worship: keep one’s vrata, repeat the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with steadiness, and perform Linga-pūjā with clean intention rather than outward show.