Shloka 29
कथां शैवीं मुहूर्तं वा तदर्द्धं क्षणं च वा । ये शृण्वति नरा भक्त्या न तेषां दुर्गतिर्भवेत्
kathāṃ śaivīṃ muhūrtaṃ vā tadarddhaṃ kṣaṇaṃ ca vā | ye śṛṇvati narā bhaktyā na teṣāṃ durgatirbhavet
Quienes escuchan con devoción la sagrada narración de Śiva—sea por un muhūrta, por la mitad de ello o incluso por un solo instante—no caen en un destino funesto; para ellos no surge la desgracia ni la caída.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana’s teaching on the fruit of śravaṇa/listening)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Promises protection from durgati through even momentary śravaṇa with bhakti—functionally akin to a ‘kavaca’ of grace, though not tied to a site.
Type: stotra
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It teaches that even brief, devotion-filled listening to Śiva-kathā purifies the mind and aligns the soul (paśu) toward Śiva (Pati), preventing a fall into durgati and supporting the path toward liberation through grace.
Śiva-kathā is a form of upāsanā (devotional approach) to Saguna Śiva; hearing His līlā and glory steadies faith, which naturally ripens into reverence for the Liṅga as the accessible sign of the Supreme.
Practice śravaṇa: set aside even a short time to listen to Shiva Purana recitation with bhakti; ideally accompany it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and a simple offering like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) as remembrance.