Shloka 39
चाण्डालीसद्गतिवर्णनम् (Cāṇḍālī-sadgati-varṇanam) — “Account of the Cāṇḍālī’s Attainment of a Good Destiny”
अथान्यदपि वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं तस्य चाद्भुतम् । श्रुतमात्रेण येनाशु शिवे भक्तिः प्रजायते
athānyadapi vakṣyāmi māhātmyaṃ tasya cādbhutam | śrutamātreṇa yenāśu śive bhaktiḥ prajāyate
Now I shall also proclaim another wondrous glory of it—by merely hearing it, devotion to Lord Śiva swiftly arises.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: A transition verse promising an additional ‘wondrous’ greatness: mere hearing generates bhakti in Śiva—an explicit statement of śravaṇa as a grace-bearing upāya.
Significance: Positions kathā-śravaṇa as a legitimate pilgrimage-substitute: even without physical travel, hearing the māhātmya can awaken devotion that leads to further worship and eventual liberation.
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches the Shaiva principle of śravaṇa (devotional hearing): the very act of listening to Śiva’s mahātmya purifies the mind and quickly awakens bhakti, which is the doorway to grace and liberation.
In the Kotirudra Samhita, the “glory” typically concerns Śiva’s sacred manifestations—especially Jyotirlinga worship. Hearing these accounts strengthens saguna-upāsanā by turning the heart toward Śiva’s living presence in the Linga.
Regular śiva-kathā-śravaṇa (listening/recitation of Shiva Purana passages), ideally alongside japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” as a simple practice to kindle steady devotion.