Shloka 16
ब्राह्मणीस्वर्गतिवर्णनम्
Brāhmaṇī-Svargati-Varṇana: Account of a Brāhmaṇa Woman’s Ascent to Heaven
त्वं चैवाहं च जननी इमे जीवादयश्च ये । ते सर्वे कर्मणा बद्धा न शोच्याः कर्हिचित्त्वया
tvaṃ caivāhaṃ ca jananī ime jīvādayaśca ye | te sarve karmaṇā baddhā na śocyāḥ karhicittvayā
You and I, and mother, and all these beings beginning with the individual souls—every one of them is bound by karma. Therefore, they should never be lamented by you at any time.
Lord Shiva (instructing a devotee within the Kotirudrasaṃhitā narrative frame, as relayed by Suta Goswami)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse grounds grief and attachment in the doctrine of pāśa (bondage): all embodied beings (paśu) are tied by karma until the grace of Pati (Shiva) and right devotion/knowledge mature. It teaches vairāgya—compassion without sorrow—by seeing karma as the binding cause behind worldly conditions.
By declaring that all are karma-bound, the text points to Saguna Shiva (worshiped as the Jyotirlinga/Linga) as the accessible Lord who can purify karmic bonds. Linga-worship becomes a practical means to turn grief into surrender, seeking Shiva’s anugraha (grace) rather than remaining trapped in lamentation.
A key takeaway is japa with the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and Linga-abhiṣeka with a detached, prayerful mind, dedicating the fruits to Shiva for karma-kṣaya (attenuation of karmic bondage).