Shloka 15
Bhairavaśāpavṛttāntaḥ
The Episode of Bhairava’s Curse and Consolation
य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या श्रावयेद्वा समाहितः । स भुक्त्वेहाखिलान्भोगानन्ते मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्
ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā śrāvayedvā samāhitaḥ | sa bhuktvehākhilānbhogānante mokṣamavāpnuyāt
Whoever listens to this with devotion—or, with a collected mind, causes it to be recited to others—enjoys all rightful pleasures in this world, and in the end attains liberation (moksha) through Lord Śiva’s grace.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Another phalaśruti: śravaṇa/śrāvaṇa (listening/causing recitation) yields bhukti (worldly enjoyments) and culminates in mokṣa—explicitly mapping Purāṇic devotion to liberation.
Significance: Establishes a practical upāya: bhakti-yukta śravaṇa with samādhāna (collected mind) brings iha-phala and para-phala; Siddhānta: paśu’s mala is attenuated and Śiva’s grace grants final release.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that bhakti expressed through śravaṇa (devout listening) and śrāvaṇa/pravacana (making others hear) purifies the soul and culminates in Shiva-bestowed moksha, while also harmonizing worldly life through dharmic enjoyment.
In the Shiva Purana, hearing and propagating Shiva’s līlā and praises is itself a form of Saguna Shiva-upāsanā; it supports devotion to the Linga by deepening remembrance, reverence, and surrender to Shiva as Pati (the liberating Lord).
Regular śravaṇa and pāraayaṇa (devotional listening/recitation) with samādhāna (focused mind)—especially on days like Mahāśivarātri—serves as a practical bhakti-sādhana that leads toward grace and liberation.