Shloka 41
पापभेदवर्णनम्
Classification of Sins / Taxonomy of Pāpa
उत्कोचकै रुचिक्रीतैस्तस्करैश्च प्रपीड्यते । यस्य राज्ञः प्रजा राष्ट्रे पच्यते नरकेषु सः
utkocakai rucikrītaistaskaraiśca prapīḍyate | yasya rājñaḥ prajā rāṣṭre pacyate narakeṣu saḥ
ज्या राजाच्या राज्यात प्रजा लाचखोर आणि पक्षपाताने विकत घेतलेल्या चोरांकडून पीडित होते, तो राजा स्वतः नरकांत तळमळतो; कारण त्याच्या राष्ट्रात त्याची प्रजा दुःखी होते।
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana discourse to the sages, conveying the Uma-samhita teaching on righteous rule and karmic consequence)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
It teaches that a ruler is karmically accountable for systemic suffering in his realm; permitting bribery and theft strengthens pasha (bondage) and leads to painful retribution, while dharmic protection of subjects supports purification and liberation.
Linga-worship is not merely ritual; it must be paired with Shiva-approved dharma. A king claiming devotion to Saguna Shiva while enabling oppression contradicts Shiva’s role as upholder of cosmic order, and such hypocrisy yields karmic downfall.
The implied practice is dharmic self-audit: daily japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with a vow of non-corruption and protection of others; no specific bhasma or rudraksha rite is stated in this verse.