मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
तत्र तीर्थेषु सुस्नात्वा समभ्यर्च्य महाबलम् । निर्धूताशेषपापौघोऽलभच्छंभोः परम्पदम्
tatra tīrtheṣu susnātvā samabhyarcya mahābalam | nirdhūtāśeṣapāpaugho'labhacchaṃbhoḥ parampadam
ณ ที่นั้น เขาอาบน้ำชำระกายในทีรถะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์อย่างดี แล้วบูชาพระมหาพละผู้ทรงเดชตามพิธี จึงสลัดกระแสแห่งบาปทั้งปวงและบรรลุพระสถานสูงสุดของศัมภู—โมกษะ—ด้วยพระกรุณาแห่งศิวะ।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadashiva
Sthala Purana: Phala statement of the sthala: bathing properly in the tīrthas and worshipping Mahābala results in complete pāpa-nāśa and attainment of Śambhu’s parama-pada (mokṣa).
Significance: Frames liberation as Śiva’s anugraha: ritual purity (snāna) + devotion (arcana) culminate in removal of pāśa (bondage as pāpa/karma) for the paśu.
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
Offering: pushpa
It teaches that sincere tīrtha-bathing joined with Shiva’s worship (archana) purifies accumulated karmic impurities and culminates in Śambhu’s supreme state—moksha—attained through His grace rather than mere external acts.
In the Kotirudrasaṃhitā’s pilgrimage context, worship is typically directed to Shiva as the manifest Lord (Saguna), most often through Jyotirliṅga/Śivaliṅga archana; such devotion becomes a doorway to the supreme state of Shiva.
Perform tīrtha-snāna with purity of intention, then do Shiva-pūjā/archana (offering water, bilva leaves, and mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as a concise practice aimed at purification and liberation.