Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 23
मुनिप्रश्नवर्णनम्
Description of the Sages’ Questions
शंभोर्गुणानुवादात्को विरज्येत पुमान्द्विजाः । विना पशुघ्नं त्रिविधजनानन्दकरात्सदा
śaṃbhorguṇānuvādātko virajyeta pumāndvijāḥ | vinā paśughnaṃ trividhajanānandakarātsadā
ឱ ពួកទ្វិជៈ (អ្នកកើតពីរដង) មនុស្សណាអាចបោះបង់ការសរសើរគុណធម៌របស់ សម្ភុ បានដែរ? ព្រោះក្រៅពី បសុឃ្នៈ—អ្នកសម្លាប់ចំណងសត្វ (ភាពសត្វ) ដែលជានិច្ចផ្តល់អានន្ទដល់សត្វលោកបីប្រភេទ—គ្មានអ្នកណាអាចប្រទានសេចក្តីរីករាយដូចនេះបានឡើយ។
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; the epithet ‘Paśughna’ is interpreted theologically: Śiva destroys paśutva (bonded animality) by severing pāśa through grace.
Significance: Frames Śiva as the unique source of ānanda for ‘threefold beings’ and as the remover of bondage—aligning pilgrimage with inner transformation from paśu to mukta through pati’s anugraha.
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
FAQs
It declares that praising Śiva’s qualities is intrinsically uplifting and cannot lead to boredom or aversion, because Śiva alone removes the paśu-state (bonded, instinct-driven existence) and continually grants bliss—pointing to bhakti as a direct means toward liberation.
Guṇānuvāda (praise of Śiva’s virtues) is a Saguna approach—contemplating Śiva with attributes such as compassion and liberating power. In Śiva-pūjā, this becomes stotra, nāma-japa, and Liṅga-arcana, where the devotee experiences Śiva’s grace as the Paśughna who cuts bondage.
Regular recitation of Śiva-stotras and nāma-japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with devotional remembrance of Śiva as Paśughna; this can be paired with Liṅga-abhiṣeka and wearing/using rudrākṣa for steady bhakti and inner purification.