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
எந்த அரசனின் நாட்டில் மக்கள் லஞ்சம் வாங்குவோராலும், பாரபட்சத்தால் வாங்கப்பட்ட திருடர்களாலும் ஒடுக்கப்படுகிறார்களோ, அந்த அரசன் தன் குடிகள் துன்புறுவதால் நரகங்களில் வேதனைப்படுவான்।
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.