Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4
दीक्षितपुत्रस्य दैन्यचिन्ता तथा शिवरात्र्युपासनाप्रसङ्गः / The Initiate’s Son in Distress and the Occasion of Śivarātri Worship
देशांतरे यस्य धनं स सद्यस्सुखमेधते । भयमस्ति धने चौरात्स विघ्नस्सर्वतोभवः
deśāṃtare yasya dhanaṃ sa sadyassukhamedhate | bhayamasti dhane caurātsa vighnassarvatobhavaḥ
He whose wealth lies in a distant place may, for the moment, seem to prosper in comfort; yet that wealth is attended by fear of thieves, and from it obstacles arise on every side.
Sūta Gosvāmī (narrating the teaching within the Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
FAQs
It warns that external possessions easily become pasha (bondage): even when wealth appears to bring comfort, it also generates bhaya (fear) and vighna (obstacles), nudging the seeker toward vairagya and reliance on Shiva rather than unstable supports.
Linga-worship trains the mind to rest in the stable refuge of Shiva (Pati) rather than in shifting objects (pasha). This verse supports Saguna upasana by showing that worldly security is fragile, whereas devotion and surrender to Shiva reduce anxiety and inner obstruction.
A practical takeaway is japa of the Panchakshara mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with a mindset of detachment, along with simple Shaiva discipline such as applying bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) to remember impermanence and keep the mind steady amid fear and distraction.