Shloka 41
मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
शृणु राजन्महाभाग क्षेत्रमन्यत्प्रतिष्ठितम् । महापातकसंहारि गोकर्णाख्यं शिवालयम्
śṛṇu rājanmahābhāga kṣetramanyatpratiṣṭhitam | mahāpātakasaṃhāri gokarṇākhyaṃ śivālayam
ഹേ രാജാവേ, മഹാഭാഗ്യവാനേ! കേൾക്കുക—മറ്റൊരു പ്രസിദ്ധ തീർത്ഥക്ഷേത്രമുണ്ട്; ‘ഗോകർണ്ണ’ എന്ന ശിവാലയം, മഹാപാതകങ്ങളെയും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നതായി ഖ്യാതമാണ്।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Introduces Gokarṇa-kṣetra as a Śiva-ālayam renowned for destroying mahāpātakas; functions as a kṣetra-māhātmya pivot where pilgrimage and devotion become the concrete niṣkṛti.
Significance: Kṣetra-sevā and darśana at Gokarṇa are praised as powerful for pāpa-kṣaya and inner purification, preparing the paśu for Śiva’s grace.
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It proclaims Gokarṇa as a Śiva-kṣetra whose very sanctity supports purification—by devotion and pilgrimage—so that even heavy karmic burdens (mahāpātaka) are said to be dissolved through Śiva’s grace.
By calling Gokarṇa a “Śivālaya,” the verse points to Saguna worship—approaching Śiva through a consecrated locus such as a Liṅga/temple—where the devotee’s surrender and reverence become the means for inner cleansing and upliftment.
A practical takeaway is kṣetra-yātrā with Liṅga-darśana and japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), supported by simple Śaiva observances like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as aids to steady bhakti.