Shloka 23
अग्निवर्णास्तु तप्ताश्च त्रिशाखा लोहशंकवः । आखिद्यंते च बहुशः स्थानेष्वेतेषु मुद्गरैः
agnivarṇāstu taptāśca triśākhā lohaśaṃkavaḥ | ākhidyaṃte ca bahuśaḥ sthāneṣveteṣu mudgaraiḥ
Iron spikes, heated until they glow like fire and fashioned with three prongs, are again and again driven into these very places with hammers.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Kālabhairava
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; the tri-śākhā (three-pronged) heated spikes evoke trident-like punitive symbolism, aligning with Bhairava’s daṇḍa function—karmic law manifesting as repeated piercing at the enumerated loci.
Significance: Reinforces aparādha-bhaya (fear of offense) as a protective boundary for pilgrims; encourages prāyaścitta, humility, and careful conduct in temple contexts.
Shakti Form: Kālī
Role: destructive
FAQs
It starkly depicts the intensity of suffering produced by bondage (pāśa) and karma, urging the seeker to turn toward Shiva (Pati) and the purifying path of dharma, devotion, and inner restraint so that such pain is transcended.
By contrasting worldly torment with the refuge of Shiva, it supports Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-bhakti—as a concrete means to seek Shiva’s grace, purification, and release from the bonds that lead to suffering.
The implied takeaway is repentance and purification: steady japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), devotion to the Shiva-linga, and adopting Shaiva disciplines (such as bhasma/tripuṇḍra and ethical restraint) to weaken karmic bondage.