Shloka 23
महाबलमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् (Mahābala Māhātmya-varṇanam) — “Account of the Greatness of Mahābala (and Western Sacred Liṅgas)”
बहुभिस्तत्र सुतपस्तप्तं सम्पूज्य तं विभुम् । लब्धा हि परमा सिद्धिरिहामुत्रापि सौख्यदा
bahubhistatra sutapastaptaṃ sampūjya taṃ vibhum | labdhā hi paramā siddhirihāmutrāpi saukhyadā
Di sana, oleh ramai penganut, pertapaan yang berat telah dilakukan; dan setelah menyembah Tuhan (Shiva) yang merangkumi segala-galanya, pencapaian tertinggi sememangnya telah diperoleh—memberi kebahagiaan di dunia ini dan juga di akhirat.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: The kṣetra is portrayed as a tapas-and-pūjā field: many perform severe austerities and worship the all-pervading Lord, attaining paramā-siddhi that grants well-being here and hereafter—typical of a liṅga-māhātmya emphasizing both iha and amutra fruits.
Significance: Frames Gokarṇa-Mahābala as a place where disciplined tapas (inner purification) plus pūjā (outer devotion) yields the highest attainment and lasting sukha.
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse teaches that sincere tapas (disciplined spiritual effort) joined with proper worship of Śiva leads to paramā-siddhi—supreme fulfillment—bringing both worldly well-being and otherworldly blessedness, culminating in liberation under Śiva’s grace.
In the Kotirudra context of Jyotirlinga pilgrimage, the ‘Vibhu’ is approached through saguna worship—devotees honor Śiva in a sanctified form/place (often the Linga), and that concrete devotion becomes a doorway to the highest realization.
It emphasizes tapas and sampūjā (complete worship): disciplined vows, japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and traditional Śaiva pūjā practices (such as bhasma/Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa) performed with devotion at a holy Śiva shrine.