Shloka 16
पुराणविदः महिमा तथा अध्ययन-अध्यापन-दानफलम्
The Glory of the Purāṇa-Knower and the Fruits of Study, Teaching, and Giving
स्थित्वा कल्पशतान्यत्र राजा भवति भूतले । भुंक्ते निष्कंटकं भोगान्नात्र कार्या विचारणा
sthitvā kalpaśatānyatra rājā bhavati bhūtale | bhuṃkte niṣkaṃṭakaṃ bhogānnātra kāryā vicāraṇā
そこに幾百のカルパのあいだ留まったのち、地上において王となる。障りなく享楽を受ける—このことに疑いや詮議は要らない。
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: General phalaśruti: residence/association with Śiva’s sacred sphere yields royal sovereignty and unobstructed enjoyments; not tied here to a named Jyotirliṅga in this verse alone.
Significance: Assures worldly sovereignty (aiśvarya) and ‘niṣkaṇṭaka’ (unimpeded) bhoga as a karmaphala for devotion/service in Śiva’s sacred context.
Cosmic Event: kalpa-scale longevity/merit (kalpaśata) invoked as hyperbolic cosmic timespan
FAQs
It functions as a phala-śruti: it affirms that sustained contact with Shiva’s sacred sphere/observance yields powerful karmic merit, culminating in long-lasting sovereignty and unhindered enjoyment—ultimately pointing to Shiva’s anugraha (grace) as the decisive factor behind auspicious fruits.
In the Shiva Purana, such fruit-statements typically conclude or support Saguna Shiva worship—approaching Shiva through Linga, mantra, vrata, or tīrtha. The verse underscores that devotion to the manifest Lord (Saguna) reliably produces tangible results, preparing the devotee for higher insight into Shiva’s supreme nature.
The verse implies steady, prolonged observance—regular Shiva-pūjā, japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and vrata discipline (often associated with Mahāśivarātri in the Purana tradition)—as the kind of sustained practice that yields the stated fruit.