Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33
शङ्खचूडदूतागमनम् — The Arrival of Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Envoy
and Praise of Śiva
पुरा समुद्रमथने पीयूषं भक्षितं सुरैः । क्लेशभाजो वयं तत्र ते सर्वे फलभोगिनः
purā samudramathane pīyūṣaṃ bhakṣitaṃ suraiḥ | kleśabhājo vayaṃ tatra te sarve phalabhoginaḥ
«Autrefois, lors du barattage de l’Océan, les Devas burent le pīyūṣa, le nectar. En cette affaire, nous fûmes ceux qui portèrent la peine, tandis qu’eux tous jouirent du fruit obtenu.»
Asuras (speaking collectively in the narrative of the Yuddhakhaṇḍa, as recounted by Sūta to the sages)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha
Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara
Sthala Purana: In the ocean-churning cycle, the emergence of halāhala poison leads to Śiva’s salvific intervention (Nīlakaṇṭha), illustrating that devas’ amṛta-enjoyment rests upon Śiva’s prior bearing of the cosmic burden; the verse voices the asuras’ grievance from that shared event.
Significance: Remembrance of Śiva as the one who absorbs विष (poison) and grants protection; pilgrimage is sought for relief from inner विष—envy, resentment, and karmic toxicity.
Type: stotra
Cosmic Event: samudra-manthana (churning of the ocean)
FAQs
It contrasts “bearing hardship” (kleśa) with “enjoying the fruit” (phala), pointing to the karmic law that mere struggle does not guarantee the highest good; in Shaiva thought, purification and right alignment with dharma, culminating in Shiva’s grace (anugraha), are what transform suffering into spiritual progress.
The verse highlights attachment to outcomes and resentment over rewards—tendencies that bind the soul (paśu) with pāśa. Linga/Saguna Shiva worship is prescribed in the Purana as a means to purify such passions through bhakti, surrender, and disciplined conduct, making one fit for Shiva’s liberating grace.
A practical takeaway is to perform daily Shiva-puja with the Panchākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while consciously offering the “fruit of action” to Shiva (phala-tyāga), training the mind away from envy and toward devotion and inner steadiness.