Shloka 44
नरकयातनावर्णनम् / Description of Hell-Torments for Specific Transgressions
वषट्कारं तथैवान्ये देवा भूतेश्वरास्तथा । हंतकारं मनुष्याश्च पिबंति सततं स्त नम्
vaṣaṭkāraṃ tathaivānye devā bhūteśvarāstathā | haṃtakāraṃ manuṣyāśca pibaṃti satataṃ sta nam
Unos beben la exclamación «vaṣaṭ»; y así también los devas y los señores de los seres. En cambio, los humanos beben sin cesar el grito «haṃtā».
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Bhikṣāṭana
FAQs
It contrasts outward, tendency-based “drinking in” of sounds—ritual calls for devas and forceful cries for humans—implying that true uplift comes when consciousness turns from habitual impulses to Shiva-centered mantra and inner discipline.
Linga/Saguna worship in the Shiva Purana emphasizes steady remembrance and devotion; this verse highlights how beings naturally cling to certain utterances, encouraging the devotee to replace restless worldly cries with Shiva’s name and contemplative worship.
Prefer mantra-japa and inward steadiness—especially Shiva-nāma and the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya)—over reactive speech; support it with Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids to focused devotion.