Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33
कैलासगमनं कुबेरसख्यं च — Śiva’s Journey to Kailāsa and His Friendship with Kubera
न चर्तुस्नातययापीह मुखं दुष्टस्य वीक्षितम् । अहो बलीयान्स विधिर्येन जातो भवानिति
na cartusnātayayāpīha mukhaṃ duṣṭasya vīkṣitam | aho balīyānsa vidhiryena jāto bhavāniti
«Même après avoir accompli le bain purificatoire en quatre temps, je n’ai pas regardé ici le visage de ce méchant. Hélas—que le destin est puissant, par lequel tu es venu au monde !»
Brahmā (narrated within Sūta Gosvāmin’s discourse in the Rudrasaṃhitā context)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
The verse contrasts outer purity (ritual bathing) with inner discernment, implying that contact with wickedness is spiritually polluting, while also acknowledging the binding force of karma/vidhi that brings beings into particular births and encounters.
It implicitly elevates inner purity and right intention—central to Shaiva worship—over mere external acts; Linga/Saguṇa-Śiva devotion is meant to purify the heart so one is not driven by hostility, aversion, or karmic compulsion.
Emphasize purity with snāna and, more importantly, inner cleansing through Shiva-oriented japa (e.g., the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined conduct, so ritual acts become spiritually effective.