Shiva Purana — Kotirudra Samhita, Shloka 50
प्रसन्नश्च स देवानां क्षेत्रमाहात्म्यहेतवे । चन्द्रस्य यशसे तत्र नाम्ना चन्द्रस्य शंकरः
prasannaśca sa devānāṃ kṣetramāhātmyahetave | candrasya yaśase tatra nāmnā candrasya śaṃkaraḥ
स प्रसन्नो देवगणेषु क्षेत्रमाहात्म्यहेतवे । चन्द्रस्य यशसे तत्र चन्द्रशेखरनामभूत् ॥
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Somanātha
Sthala Purana: Śiva, pleased (prasanna) with the Devas, abides there to proclaim the kṣetra’s māhātmya; for Candra’s fame He becomes known as Candraśekhara—linking the site’s sanctity with the Moon’s devotion and restoration.
Significance: Kṣetra-māhātmya: the Lord’s ‘abiding’ makes the place a conduit of grace; pilgrims seek prasāda, purification, and relief from suffering.
Role: liberating
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It teaches that Śiva, the Pati (Supreme Lord), compassionately reveals the sanctity of a kṣetra so that beings gain faith, perform worship there, and move toward purification and liberation.
Śiva accepts a knowable name and presence (Candraśekhara) to bless devotees; this supports Saguna worship—approaching the transcendent Nirguṇa Lord through a manifest form and sacred site.
Kṣetra-yātrā with Śiva-bhakti: worship Śiva as Candraśekhara with the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with traditional offerings and reverent remembrance of the kṣetra’s māhātmya.