Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33
त्रिपुरवर्णनम् (Tripura-varṇanam) — “Description of Tripura”
लक्ष्म्या किं तद्विपुलया किं कार्यं हि पुरोत्तमैः । अन्यैश्च विपुलैर्भोगैस्स्थानैश्वर्येण वा पुनः
lakṣmyā kiṃ tadvipulayā kiṃ kāryaṃ hi purottamaiḥ | anyaiśca vipulairbhogaissthānaiśvaryeṇa vā punaḥ
À quoi sert une richesse immense ? Quel besoin y a-t-il des plus hauts rangs du monde ? Et encore, que gagne-t-on par d’abondantes jouissances, des positions élevées ou la souveraineté, lorsque le but suprême est la communion avec Śiva, au-delà de toute possession ?
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana discourse to the sages, conveying the Yuddhakhaṇḍa teaching that worldly power is secondary to Śiva-bhakti)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Dakshinamurti
Sthala Purana: General vairāgya-teaching: wealth, rank, pleasures, and sovereignty are questioned as ultimately futile compared to the supreme end (Śiva-sāyujya/communion).
Significance: Encourages tyāga and bhakti; pilgrims are reminded that tīrtha-yātrā is for inner transformation, not status or acquisition.
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches vairāgya: wealth, status, and pleasures cannot satisfy the soul’s deepest need; only devotion to Śiva (Pati) leads beyond bondage (pāśa) toward liberation.
It redirects attention from external power to sacred focus—Linga-worship as a concrete (saguṇa) support that turns the mind from transient enjoyments toward Śiva, the eternal Lord.
Practice simple Śiva-sādhana: japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” steady Linga-abhiṣeka with a prayerful mind, and cultivating detachment from luxury and status.