Shloka 88
Śiva-nāma-sahasraka-kathana
The Recital/Teaching of the Thousand Names of Śiva
मुंडी विरूपो विकृतो दंडी नादी गुणोत्तमः । पिंगलाक्षो हि बह्वयो नीलग्रीवो निरामयः
muṃḍī virūpo vikṛto daṃḍī nādī guṇottamaḥ | piṃgalākṣo hi bahvayo nīlagrīvo nirāmayaḥ
അവൻ മുണ്ഡിതശിരസ്സൻ, വിചിത്രവും ഭയഭക്തിയുണർത്തുന്നതുമായ രൂപധാരി, പലവിധ പരിവർത്തനങ്ങൾ സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നവൻ; ദണ്ഡധാരി, നാദസ്വരൂപൻ, ഗുണോത്തമൻ. പിംഗളാക്ഷൻ, ബഹുരൂപൻ, നീലഗ്രീവൻ, നിരാമയൻ.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Bhikṣāṭana
Mantra: मुंडी विरूपो विकृतो दंडी नादी गुणोत्तमः । पिंगलाक्षो हि बह्वयो नीलग्रीवो निरामयः
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse lists Shiva’s sacred epithets to focus the mind on His protective, purifying, and liberating presence—showing that the Lord can appear in many awe-inspiring forms while remaining the supreme Pati who removes suffering and grants freedom from bondage.
These names describe Saguna Shiva—His recognizable marks like Nīlagrīva (blue-throated) and ascetic emblems—supporting devotional contemplation (bhakti) that naturally leads the devotee from form-based worship (including the Linga) toward realization of Shiva’s transcendent nature.
A practical takeaway is nāma-japa: reciting these Shiva-names (or the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady attention, contemplating Shiva as nirāmaya (free of affliction) to cultivate inner purity and fearlessness.