Shloka 48
मित्रसह-राज्ञो रक्षत्व-शापकथा — The Curse that Turns King Mitrasaha into a Rakshasa
Vasiṣṭha’s Śāpa Narrative
सूत उवाच । इत्यादिष्टः स मुनिना गौतमेन महात्मना । महाहृष्टमना राजा गोकर्णं प्रत्यपद्यत
sūta uvāca | ityādiṣṭaḥ sa muninā gautamena mahātmanā | mahāhṛṣṭamanā rājā gokarṇaṃ pratyapadyata
سوت نے کہا—مہاتما گوتم مُنی کے اس طرح حکم دینے پر وہ راجا نہایت مسرور دل کے ساتھ گوکرن کی طرف روانہ ہوا اور وہاں پہنچا۔
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Narrative transition: the king, instructed by Gautama, joyfully proceeds to Gokarṇa—setting up the ensuing pilgrimage and worship episodes.
Significance: Models the proper response of the aspirant: śraddhā + guru-vākya + utsāha (joyful resolve) → movement toward kṣetra where pāśa is loosened and anugraha becomes available.
FAQs
It highlights śraddhā and obedience to a realized guru: when the sage directs the seeker, the king responds with joyful resolve and moves toward a Śiva-kṣetra, showing that grace and right guidance turn devotion into transformative action.
Gokarṇa is celebrated as a Śiva sacred center associated with Liṅga worship; the king’s journey indicates turning toward Saguna Śiva in a consecrated place where darśana, pūjā, and tīrtha-sevā become direct supports for purification and devotion.
Undertake tīrtha-yātrā with a disciplined mind—on reaching the kṣetra, perform Liṅga-pūjā with pañcākṣarī-japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), and maintain purity through simple vrata and reverence to the guru’s instruction.