Shloka 42
Ghuśmā–Sudehā: Jealousy, Household Honor, and the Ethics of Śaiva Merit (गुश्मा–सुदेहा प्रसङ्गः)
शिव उवाच । अन्यद्वरं ब्रूहि घुश्मे ददामि च हितं तव । त्वद्भक्त्या सुप्रसन्नोऽस्मि निर्विकारस्वभावतः
śiva uvāca | anyadvaraṃ brūhi ghuśme dadāmi ca hitaṃ tava | tvadbhaktyā suprasanno'smi nirvikārasvabhāvataḥ
శివుడు పలికెను—ఓ ఘుష్మా! మరొక వరం కోరుము; నీకు నిజంగా హితమైనదాన్నే నేను ఇస్తాను. నీ భక్తిచేత నేను అత్యంత ప్రసన్నుడను; నా స్వభావం నిర్వికారమైనది.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Jyotirlinga: Ghṛṣṇeśvara
Sthala Purana: Śiva’s direct boon-offer to Ghuśmā, grounded in her bhakti, is the doctrinal moment of anugraha that culminates in His abiding as Ghuśmeśa/Ghṛṣṇeśvara—transforming a personal grace-event into a public tīrtha for loka-hita.
Significance: Models the Siddhānta principle that liberation-oriented benefit (hita/śreyas) is granted by the Lord’s grace in response to devotion; the sthala becomes a perpetual channel of that grace.
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse highlights that Shiva responds to sincere bhakti by granting not merely desired outcomes, but “hita”—what truly leads the soul toward welfare and liberation. It also affirms Shiva’s nirvikāra nature: His grace is steady, not driven by fluctuating emotions.
In Kotirudrasaṃhitā, devotion commonly centers on Shiva’s accessible saguna presence—especially through Linga worship and pilgrimage. This verse shows that such concrete worship can draw the grace of the transcendent nirvikāra Shiva, who then guides the devotee toward what is spiritually beneficial.
The takeaway is to approach Shiva with bhakti and ask for “hita” rather than only worldly gains—practically expressed through daily Linga pūjā, japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and prayer for inner purification and steadfast devotion.